Roberto Clemente vs Joe DiMaggio: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente and Joe DiMaggio are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 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
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Roberto Clemente's 2.
Roberto Clemente
Joe DiMaggio
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Joe DiMaggio. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Joe DiMaggio |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,736 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 6,821 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,390 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,214 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 389 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 131 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 361 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,537 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 790 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 369 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | .317 | Leads: .325 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .398 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .579 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Roberto Clemente 47,427 to 34,131 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,896 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Roberto Clemente'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).
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe DiMaggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Roberto Clemente owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe DiMaggio. PIV agrees: Joe DiMaggio grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roberto Clemente and Joe DiMaggio careers compare
Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) was finished before Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 1,736 for Joe DiMaggio across 18 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), while Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe DiMaggio's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio. Joe DiMaggio's on-base percentage of .398 tops Roberto Clemente's .359.
Roberto Clemente vs Joe DiMaggio: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Roberto Clemente or Joe DiMaggio hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.