Rico Carty vs Roberto Clemente: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rico Carty played 1963–1979 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
Rico Carty (1963–1979) and Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rico Carty finished with 1,677 hits and 204 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? Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Rico Carty's 204.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Rico Carty's .833.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Rico Carty's .299.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Rico Carty's 1,677.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Rico Carty's 890.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Rico Carty's 21,612.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Rico Carty's 1.
Rico Carty
Roberto Clemente
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rico Carty 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rico Carty | Roberto Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,651 | Leads: 2,433 |
| At-Bats | 5,606 | Leads: 9,454 |
| Runs | 712 | Leads: 1,416 |
| Hits | 1,677 | Leads: 3,000 |
| Doubles | 278 | Leads: 440 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 166 |
| Home Runs | 204 | Leads: 240 |
| RBI | 890 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Walks | Leads: 642 | 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 663 | 1,230 |
| Stolen Bases | 21 | Leads: 83 |
| Batting Avg | .299 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .369 | .359 |
| Slugging % | .464 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .833 | Leads: .834 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Rico Carty 34,131 to 21,612 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 1,201 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Rico Carty's 18. 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).
Rico Carty — top 3 seasons by OPS
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rico Carty owns OBP. 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 Rico Carty and Roberto Clemente careers compare
From 1963 through 1972, Rico Carty and Roberto Clemente were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,651 games for Rico Carty and 2,433 for Roberto Clemente across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rico Carty's edges on the table are walks (642 to 621) and on-base percentage (.369 to .359). At the plate, Rico Carty struck out more than walked (663 to 642), and Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621). Home runs make up a larger share of Rico Carty's hits: 204 of 1,677 for Rico Carty, 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente.
Rico Carty vs Roberto Clemente: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rico Carty or Roberto Clemente?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Rico Carty in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rico Carty or Roberto Clemente hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Rico Carty's 204.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Rico Carty's .833.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Rico Carty's .299.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Rico Carty's 1,677.