Lou Brock vs Roberto Clemente: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Brock and Roberto Clemente are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Brock played 1961–1979 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
Lou Brock (1961–1979) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) — 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; 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 Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Lou Brock's .293.
- Who had more hits? Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Lou Brock's 18,115.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock 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 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 | Roberto Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,616 | 2,433 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,332 | 9,454 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,610 | 1,416 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,023 | 3,000 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 440 |
| Triples | 141 | Leads: 166 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 240 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Walks | Leads: 761 | 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,230 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 83 |
| Batting Avg | .293 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .359 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Lou Brock 34,131 to 18,115 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 906 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 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
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente 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 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 Lou Brock and Roberto Clemente careers compare
The careers of Lou Brock (1961–1979) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) overlapped from 1961 to 1972, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,616 games against 2,433 across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761), and Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621). Home runs make up a larger share of Roberto Clemente's hits: 149 of 3,023 for Lou Brock, 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente.
Lou Brock vs Roberto Clemente: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Lou Brock or Roberto Clemente hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Lou Brock's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.