Roberto Clemente vs Bill Freehan: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Bill Freehan played 1961–1976 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 Bill Freehan (1961–1976) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Bill Freehan finished with 1,591 hits and 200 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 Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Bill Freehan's 758.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Bill Freehan's 12,940.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Freehan's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Bill Freehan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Bill Freehan. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Bill Freehan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,774 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 6,073 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 706 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,591 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 241 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 35 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 758 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 626 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 753 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .412 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .752 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Bill Freehan 34,131 to 12,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 863, across 18 seasons to 15. 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
Bill Freehan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Freehan owns no headline categories. 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 Bill Freehan careers compare
Roberto Clemente and Bill Freehan were active at the same time between 1961 and 1972. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 1,774 for Bill Freehan across 18 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bill Freehan comes out ahead, it is in walks (626 to 621). At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Bill Freehan struck out more than walked (753 to 626). Bill Freehan is the more power-leaning hitter, with 200 of 1,591 hits leaving the park.
Roberto Clemente vs Bill Freehan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Bill Freehan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Bill Freehan in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Bill Freehan hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.