Orlando Cepeda vs Cecil Cooper: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Cecil Cooper played 1971–1987 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Cecil Cooper (1971–1987) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Cecil Cooper finished with 2,192 hits and 241 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Cecil Cooper's 241.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Cecil Cooper's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average? Cecil Cooper, with .298 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Cecil Cooper's 2,192.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Cecil Cooper's 1,125.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Cecil Cooper's 16,386.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Cecil Cooper's 0.
Orlando Cepeda
Cecil Cooper
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Cecil Cooper. 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 1950s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Cecil Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,124 | 1,896 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 7,349 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,131 | 1,012 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 2,192 |
| Doubles | Leads: 417 | 415 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 47 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 241 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,125 |
| Walks | Leads: 588 | 448 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 911 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 89 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .350 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .466 |
| OPS | Leads: .849 | .803 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Cecil Cooper 32,785 to 16,386 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,726 PIV per season to 964, 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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cecil Cooper — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Cecil Cooper owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orlando Cepeda and Cecil Cooper careers compare
Orlando Cepeda and Cecil Cooper were active at the same time between 1971 and 1974. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 1,896 for Cecil Cooper across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Cecil Cooper's edges on the table are triples (47 to 27) and batting average (.298 to .297). Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588); Cecil Cooper struck out more than walked (911 to 448). Home runs make up a larger share of Orlando Cepeda's hits: 379 of 2,351 for Orlando Cepeda, 241 of 2,192 for Cecil Cooper.
Orlando Cepeda vs Cecil Cooper: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Cecil Cooper?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Cecil Cooper in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Cecil Cooper hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Cecil Cooper's 241.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Cecil Cooper's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Cecil Cooper, with .298 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Cecil Cooper's 2,192.