Roberto Clemente vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 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 Bobby Grich (1970–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 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 Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Bobby Grich's 864.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Bobby Grich's 20,680.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Grich's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Bobby Grich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Bobby Grich. 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 | Roberto Clemente | Bobby Grich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 2,008 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 6,890 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,033 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,833 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 320 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 47 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 224 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 864 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,087 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,278 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .424 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Bobby Grich 34,131 to 20,680 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 1,216, across 18 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).
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns stolen bases and OBP. 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 Bobby Grich careers compare
Roberto Clemente and Bobby Grich were active at the same time between 1970 and 1972. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 2,008 for Bobby Grich across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bobby Grich are walks (1,087 to 621), stolen bases (104 to 83), and on-base percentage (.371 to .359). Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621); Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087). Home runs make up a larger share of Bobby Grich's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 224 of 1,833 for Bobby Grich.
Roberto Clemente vs Bobby Grich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Bobby Grich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Bobby Grich in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Bobby Grich hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.