Lou Brock vs Orlando Cepeda: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Brock has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Brock played 1961–1979 as a hitter; Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 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 Brock (1961–1979) and Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Brock finished with 3,023 hits and 149 home runs; Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Lou Brock's .293.
- Who had more hits? Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Lou Brock's 18,115.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Orlando Cepeda
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda. 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Brock | Orlando Cepeda |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,616 | 2,124 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,332 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,610 | 1,131 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,023 | 2,351 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 417 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Walks | Leads: 761 | 588 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,169 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 142 |
| Batting Avg | .293 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .350 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .499 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .849 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Lou Brock 32,785 to 18,115 — driven by per-season impact — 1,726 PIV per season to 906 — rather than by longevity, since Orlando Cepeda played 19 seasons to Lou Brock'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).
Lou Brock — top 3 seasons by OPS
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Lou Brock owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda careers compare
From 1961 through 1974, Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,616 games for Lou Brock and 2,124 for Orlando Cepeda across 20 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761); Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588). Home runs make up a larger share of Orlando Cepeda's hits: 149 of 3,023 for Lou Brock, 379 of 2,351 for Orlando Cepeda. Lou Brock was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Lou Brock vs Orlando Cepeda: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Brock or Orlando Cepeda?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Brock leads Orlando Cepeda in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Brock or Orlando Cepeda hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Lou Brock's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.