Roberto Clemente vs Larry Doby: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente 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). Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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 Larry Doby (1947–1959) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Larry Doby, with 273 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Doby, with .888 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roberto Clemente
Larry Doby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Larry Doby. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Larry Doby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,674 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,883 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,080 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,697 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 273 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 1,093 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 945 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,012 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 64 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .288 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .389 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .499 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .888 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente leads Larry Doby 34,131 to 28,857 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 1,519 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Larry Doby's 19. 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
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Larry Doby owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. 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 Roberto Clemente and Larry Doby careers compare
The careers of Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Larry Doby (1947–1959) overlapped from 1955 to 1959, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,433 games against 1,674 across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945). Home runs make up a larger share of Larry Doby's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 273 of 1,697 for Larry Doby. Larry Doby's slugging percentage of .499 tops Roberto Clemente's .475.
Roberto Clemente vs Larry Doby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Larry Doby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Larry Doby in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Larry Doby hit more home runs?
- Larry Doby, with 273 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Doby, with .888 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Larry Doby's 1,697.