Smoky Burgess vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Jackie Robinson 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; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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 Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Smoky Burgess finished with 1,318 hits and 126 home runs; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits? Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Jackie Robinson, with 764 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Smoky Burgess's 11,198.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Smoky Burgess
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess and Jackie 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Smoky Burgess | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,691 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | 4,471 | Leads: 5,006 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 974 |
| Hits | 1,318 | Leads: 1,568 |
| Doubles | 230 | Leads: 287 |
| Triples | 33 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 141 |
| RBI | 673 | Leads: 764 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Smoky Burgess 25,382 to 11,198 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 560 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Smoky Burgess owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jackie Robinson. PIV agrees: Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
The careers of Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) overlapped from 1949 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,691 games for Smoky Burgess and 1,418 for Jackie Robinson across 20 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Smoky Burgess's edges on the table are games (1,691 to 1,418). Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts); Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts).
Smoky Burgess vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jackie Robinson leads Smoky Burgess in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.