Smoky Burgess vs Brooks Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Brooks Robinson 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). Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 as a hitter; Brooks Robinson played 1955–1977 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 Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) — 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; Brooks Robinson finished with 2,848 hits and 268 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Smoky Burgess, with .807 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average? Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits? Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Brooks Robinson, with 1,357 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Smoky Burgess, with 11,198 career PIV to Brooks Robinson's 9,441.
- Who won more championships? Brooks Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Smoky Burgess's 1.
Smoky Burgess
Brooks Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess and Brooks Robinson. 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 | Brooks Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,691 | Leads: 2,896 |
| At-Bats | 4,471 | Leads: 10,654 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 1,232 |
| Hits | 1,318 | Leads: 2,848 |
| Doubles | 230 | Leads: 482 |
| Triples | 33 | Leads: 68 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 268 |
| RBI | 673 | Leads: 1,357 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 990 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .362 | .322 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .401 |
| OPS | Leads: .807 | .723 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Smoky Burgess leads Brooks Robinson 11,198 to 9,441 — driven by per-season impact — 560 PIV per season to 410 — rather than by longevity, since Smoky Burgess played 20 seasons to Brooks Robinson's 23. 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
Brooks Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Brooks Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Smoky Burgess owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Brooks Robinson. Note that PIV actually grades Smoky Burgess ahead, which means Brooks Robinson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Smoky Burgess and Brooks Robinson careers compare
From 1955 through 1967, Smoky Burgess and Brooks Robinson were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Smoky Burgess appeared in 1,691 games to Brooks Robinson's 2,896. The green cells for Smoky Burgess are batting average (.295 to .267), on-base percentage (.362 to .322), and slugging percentage (.446 to .401). Plate discipline differs: Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts), but Brooks Robinson struck out more than walked (990 to 860). Smoky Burgess's slugging percentage of .446 tops Brooks Robinson's .401.
Smoky Burgess vs Brooks Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Brooks Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Brooks Robinson leads Smoky Burgess in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Brooks Robinson hit more home runs?
- Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Smoky Burgess, with .807 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.