Roberto Clemente vs Ralph Kiner: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Ralph Kiner played 1946–1955 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 Ralph Kiner (1946–1955) — 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; Ralph Kiner finished with 1,451 hits and 369 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ralph Kiner, with 369 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ralph Kiner, with .946 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Ralph Kiner's .279.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Ralph Kiner's 1,451.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Ralph Kiner's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ralph Kiner, with 35,424 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Ralph Kiner's 0.
Roberto Clemente
Ralph Kiner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Ralph Kiner. 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 | Ralph Kiner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,472 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,205 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 971 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,451 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 216 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 39 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 369 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 1,015 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,011 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 749 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 22 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .398 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .548 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .946 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ralph Kiner edges Roberto Clemente 35,424 to 34,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,220 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
Ralph Kiner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ralph Kiner owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roberto Clemente. Note that PIV actually grades Ralph Kiner ahead, which means Roberto Clemente's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Roberto Clemente vs Ralph Kiner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Ralph Kiner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Ralph Kiner in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Ralph Kiner hit more home runs?
- Ralph Kiner, with 369 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ralph Kiner, with .946 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Ralph Kiner's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Ralph Kiner's 1,451.