Orlando Cepeda vs Jim Gentile: 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; Jim Gentile played 1957–1966 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 Jim Gentile (1957–1966) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Jim Gentile finished with 759 hits and 179 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 Jim Gentile's 179.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Gentile, with .854 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Jim Gentile's .260.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Jim Gentile's 759.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Jim Gentile's 549.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Jim Gentile's 13,778.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Gentile's 0.
Orlando Cepeda
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Jim Gentile. 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 | Orlando Cepeda | Jim Gentile |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,124 | 936 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 2,922 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,131 | 434 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 759 |
| Doubles | Leads: 417 | 113 |
| Triples | Leads: 27 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 179 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 549 |
| Walks | Leads: 588 | 475 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 663 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 3 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .260 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .368 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .486 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Jim Gentile 32,785 to 13,778 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,726 PIV per season to 1,253, across 19 seasons to 11. 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
Jim Gentile — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Gentile owns OBP and OPS. 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 Jim Gentile careers compare
The careers of Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Jim Gentile (1957–1966) overlapped from 1958 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,124 games of Orlando Cepeda with 936 of Jim Gentile across 19 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Jim Gentile comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.368 to .350) and OPS (.854 to .849). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Jim Gentile struck out more than walked (663 to 475).
Orlando Cepeda vs Jim Gentile: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Jim Gentile?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Jim Gentile in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Jim Gentile hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Jim Gentile's 179.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Gentile, with .854 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Jim Gentile's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Jim Gentile's 759.