Roy Campanella vs Roberto Clemente: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente 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). Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Roy Campanella (1948–1957) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 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? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Roy Campanella's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Roy Campanella's 1.
Roy Campanella
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella 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 | Roy Campanella | Roberto Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,433 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 9,454 |
| Runs | 787 | Leads: 1,416 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 3,000 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 440 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 166 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 240 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Walks | 608 | Leads: 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 1,230 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 83 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .359 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Roy Campanella 34,131 to 19,598 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 1,031 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Roy Campanella's 19. 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).
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roy Campanella owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. 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 Roy Campanella and Roberto Clemente careers compare
Roy Campanella and Roberto Clemente were active at the same time between 1955 and 1957. The table compares 1,455 games of Roy Campanella with 2,433 of Roberto Clemente across 19 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Roy Campanella comes out ahead, it is in home runs (260 to 240), on-base percentage (.363 to .359), and slugging percentage (.496 to .475). Plate discipline differs: Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts), but Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621). Home runs make up a larger share of Roy Campanella's hits: 260 of 1,427 for Roy Campanella, 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente.
Roy Campanella vs Roberto Clemente: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Roberto Clemente?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Roy Campanella in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Roberto Clemente hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.