Lou Boudreau vs Roy Campanella: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Boudreau has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 as a hitter; Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Roy Campanella (1948–1957) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 home runs; Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Boudreau, with .295 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Lou Boudreau, with 1,779 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Roy Campanella, with 1,015 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roy Campanella, with 19,598 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Lou Boudreau
Roy Campanella
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau and Roy Campanella. 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 1930s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Roy Campanella |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,646 | 1,455 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,029 | 5,050 |
| Runs | Leads: 861 | 787 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,779 | 1,427 |
| Doubles | Leads: 385 | 235 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 32 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 260 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,015 |
| Walks | Leads: 796 | 608 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 514 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 51 | 39 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .363 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .496 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Campanella leads Lou Boudreau 19,598 to 17,260 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Roy Campanella played 19 seasons to Lou Boudreau's 15, while Lou Boudreau carries the higher per-season figure (1,151 to 1,031). 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).
Lou Boudreau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Boudreau leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Roy Campanella owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Boudreau. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Campanella ahead, which means Lou Boudreau's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Boudreau and Roy Campanella careers compare
From 1948 through 1952, Lou Boudreau and Roy Campanella were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau and 1,455 for Roy Campanella across 15 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Roy Campanella's edges on the table are home runs (260 to 68), RBI (1,015 to 789), and slugging percentage (.496 to .415). Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts); Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Roy Campanella's hits: 68 of 1,779 for Lou Boudreau, 260 of 1,427 for Roy Campanella.
Lou Boudreau vs Roy Campanella: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Roy Campanella?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Boudreau leads Roy Campanella in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Roy Campanella hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Boudreau, with .295 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Boudreau, with 1,779 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.