Roberto Clemente vs Al Kaline: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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 Al Kaline (1953–1974) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Kaline, with 399 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Al Kaline's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Al Kaline
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Al Kaline. 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 | Al Kaline |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,834 |
| At-Bats | 9,454 | Leads: 10,116 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 1,622 |
| Hits | 3,000 | Leads: 3,007 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 498 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 75 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 399 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,277 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 1,020 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 137 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .297 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .480 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline leads Roberto Clemente 45,087 to 34,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,049 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
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roberto Clemente owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Roberto Clemente vs Al Kaline: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Al Kaline?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Roberto Clemente in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Al Kaline hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.