Smoky Burgess vs Orlando Cepeda: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 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
Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Smoky Burgess finished with 1,318 hits and 126 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 Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Smoky Burgess's 11,198.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Smoky Burgess's 1.
Smoky Burgess
Orlando Cepeda
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess 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 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Smoky Burgess | Orlando Cepeda |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,691 | Leads: 2,124 |
| At-Bats | 4,471 | Leads: 7,927 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 1,131 |
| Hits | 1,318 | Leads: 2,351 |
| Doubles | 230 | Leads: 417 |
| Triples | Leads: 33 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 673 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 588 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 1,169 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 142 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .362 | .350 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .499 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: .849 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Smoky Burgess 32,785 to 11,198 — driven by per-season impact — 1,726 PIV per season to 560 — rather than by longevity, since Orlando Cepeda played 19 seasons to Smoky Burgess'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).
Smoky Burgess — top 3 seasons by OPS
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Smoky Burgess owns OBP. 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 Smoky Burgess and Orlando Cepeda careers compare
From 1958 through 1967, Smoky Burgess and Orlando Cepeda were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,691 games for Smoky Burgess and 2,124 for Orlando Cepeda across 20 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Smoky Burgess are triples (33 to 27) and on-base percentage (.362 to .350). At the plate, Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts), while Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588). Home runs make up a larger share of Orlando Cepeda's hits: 126 of 1,318 for Smoky Burgess, 379 of 2,351 for Orlando Cepeda.
Smoky Burgess vs Orlando Cepeda: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Orlando Cepeda?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Smoky Burgess in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Orlando Cepeda hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.