Smoky Burgess 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). Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 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
Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) — 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; 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 Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Smoky Burgess's 11,198.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Smoky Burgess's 1.
Smoky Burgess
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess 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 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 | Roberto Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,691 | Leads: 2,433 |
| At-Bats | 4,471 | Leads: 9,454 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 1,416 |
| Hits | 1,318 | Leads: 3,000 |
| Doubles | 230 | Leads: 440 |
| Triples | 33 | Leads: 166 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 240 |
| RBI | 673 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 1,230 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 83 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .362 | .359 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Smoky Burgess 34,131 to 11,198 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 560 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 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
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 Smoky Burgess owns OBP. 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 Smoky Burgess and Roberto Clemente careers compare
The careers of Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) overlapped from 1955 to 1967, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,691 games against 2,433 across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Smoky Burgess comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.362 to .359). Plate discipline differs: Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts), but Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621). Roberto Clemente's slugging percentage of .475 tops Smoky Burgess's .446.
Smoky Burgess vs Roberto Clemente: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Roberto Clemente?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Smoky Burgess in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Roberto Clemente hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.