Roy Campanella vs Josh Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Campanella has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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 Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 home runs; Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 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 Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Roy Campanella's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Roy Campanella, with 1,427 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Roy Campanella, with 1,015 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Josh Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Roy Campanella's 1.
Roy Campanella
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella and Josh Gibson. 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 | Roy Campanella | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,455 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,050 | 2,768 |
| Runs | Leads: 787 | 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,427 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 235 | 170 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 197 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 608 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 44 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .496 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson outpaces Roy Campanella 28,319 to 19,598 — driven by per-season impact — 1,666 PIV per season to 1,031 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Gibson played 17 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
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Roy Campanella owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson 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 Josh Gibson careers compare
No season is shared: Josh Gibson played ?–1946, Roy Campanella 1948–1957. Roy Campanella has the far longer record, 1,455 games against 766 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts); Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). Only Roy Campanella has a season on the peak list; Josh Gibson never reached the qualifying workload.
Roy Campanella vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Campanella leads Josh Gibson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Roy Campanella's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Roy Campanella, with 1,427 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.