Buddy Bell vs Roberto Clemente: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 as a hitter; Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 home runs; Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Buddy Bell's 2,514.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Buddy Bell's 1,106.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell and Roberto Clemente. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Roberto Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,405 | Leads: 2,433 |
| At-Bats | 8,995 | Leads: 9,454 |
| Runs | 1,151 | Leads: 1,416 |
| Hits | 2,514 | Leads: 3,000 |
| Doubles | 425 | Leads: 440 |
| Triples | 56 | Leads: 166 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 240 |
| RBI | 1,106 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Walks | Leads: 836 | 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,230 |
| Stolen Bases | 55 | Leads: 83 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .359 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Buddy Bell 34,131 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buddy Bell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roberto Clemente. PIV agrees: Roberto Clemente grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buddy Bell and Roberto Clemente careers compare
Buddy Bell and Roberto Clemente were active at the same time between 1972 and 1972. The two careers are close in length, 2,405 games for Buddy Bell and 2,433 for Roberto Clemente across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Buddy Bell comes out ahead, it is in walks (836 to 621). At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621). Roberto Clemente's slugging percentage of .475 tops Buddy Bell's .406.
Buddy Bell vs Roberto Clemente: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buddy Bell or Roberto Clemente?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Buddy Bell in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buddy Bell or Roberto Clemente hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Buddy Bell's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Buddy Bell's 2,514.