Roy Campanella vs Ernie Lombardi: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Campanella has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Ernie Lombardi played 1931–1947 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 Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) — 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; Ernie Lombardi finished with 1,792 hits and 190 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 Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Lombardi, with .306 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Lombardi, with 1,792 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Roy Campanella, with 1,015 to Ernie Lombardi's 990.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roy Campanella, with 19,598 career PIV to Ernie Lombardi's 15,583.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Roy Campanella
Ernie Lombardi
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella and Ernie Lombardi. 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 | Ernie Lombardi |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,853 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 5,855 |
| Runs | Leads: 787 | 601 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 1,792 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 190 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 990 |
| Walks | Leads: 608 | 430 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 262 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .818 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Campanella leads Ernie Lombardi 19,598 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,031 PIV per season to 917, across 19 seasons to 17. 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
Ernie Lombardi — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Campanella leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ernie Lombardi owns hits and batting average. 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 Ernie Lombardi careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ernie Lombardi's ended in 1947, and Roy Campanella debuted in 1948. With 1,455 games against 1,853 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts); Ernie Lombardi walked more often than struck out (430 walks, 262 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Roy Campanella's hits: 260 of 1,427 for Roy Campanella, 190 of 1,792 for Ernie Lombardi. Roy Campanella's slugging percentage of .496 tops Ernie Lombardi's .460.
Roy Campanella vs Ernie Lombardi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Ernie Lombardi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Campanella leads Ernie Lombardi in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Ernie Lombardi hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Lombardi, with .306 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Lombardi, with 1,792 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.