Roberto Clemente vs Reggie Jackson: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Jackson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Reggie Jackson played 1967–1987 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 Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) — 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; Reggie Jackson finished with 2,584 hits and 563 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Reggie Jackson, with .846 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Reggie Jackson's 2,584.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Jackson, with 1,702 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Reggie Jackson, with 41,801 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Reggie Jackson, with 5 World Series titles to Roberto Clemente's 2.
Roberto Clemente
Reggie Jackson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Reggie Jackson. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Reggie Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,820 |
| At-Bats | 9,454 | Leads: 9,864 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 1,551 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,584 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 463 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 49 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 563 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,702 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,375 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 2,597 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 228 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .356 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .490 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Jackson leads Roberto Clemente 41,801 to 34,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,991 vs 1,896 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Reggie Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Reggie Jackson leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roberto Clemente owns hits, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Reggie Jackson. PIV agrees: Reggie Jackson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Roberto Clemente vs Reggie Jackson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Reggie Jackson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Reggie Jackson leads Roberto Clemente in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Reggie Jackson hit more home runs?
- Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Reggie Jackson, with .846 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Reggie Jackson's 2,584.