Roy Campanella vs Joe Gordon: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Gordon 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; Joe Gordon played 1938–1950 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 Joe Gordon (1938–1950) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 home runs; Joe Gordon finished with 1,530 hits and 253 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 Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roy Campanella, with .283 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits? Joe Gordon, with 1,530 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Roy Campanella, with 1,015 to Joe Gordon's 975.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roy Campanella, with 19,598 career PIV to Joe Gordon's 18,128.
- Who won more championships? Joe Gordon, with 5 World Series titles to Roy Campanella's 1.
Roy Campanella
Joe Gordon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella and Joe Gordon. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Campanella | Joe Gordon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,566 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 5,707 |
| Runs | 787 | Leads: 914 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 1,530 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 264 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 253 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 975 |
| Walks | 608 | Leads: 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 702 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .466 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Campanella edges Joe Gordon 19,598 to 18,128 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Roy Campanella played 19 seasons to Joe Gordon's 11, while Joe Gordon carries the higher per-season figure (1,648 to 1,031). 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
Joe Gordon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Campanella leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Joe Gordon owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Campanella. PIV agrees: Roy Campanella 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 Joe Gordon careers compare
From 1948 through 1950, Roy Campanella and Joe Gordon were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,455 games for Roy Campanella and 1,566 for Joe Gordon across 19 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts); Joe Gordon walked more often than struck out (759 walks, 702 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Roy Campanella holds the edge, .496 to .466. Roy Campanella owns the better peak by OPS: 1.006 OPS in 1953 for Roy Campanella against .900 OPS in 1942 for Joe Gordon.
Roy Campanella vs Joe Gordon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Joe Gordon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Gordon leads Roy Campanella in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Joe Gordon hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roy Campanella, with .283 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Gordon, with 1,530 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.