Roberto Clemente vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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 Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 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 Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe Medwick, with .867 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Joe Medwick's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Joe Medwick. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,984 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 7,635 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,198 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,471 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 113 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 205 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 621 | 437 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 42 |
| Batting Avg | .317 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .505 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente leads Joe Medwick 34,131 to 28,897 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 1,445 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Joe Medwick's 20. 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
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, runs, and stolen bases, while Joe Medwick owns RBI, batting average, 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 Joe Medwick careers compare
Joe Medwick (1932–1948) was finished before Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 1,984 for Joe Medwick across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437). Joe Medwick's slugging percentage of .505 tops Roberto Clemente's .475. On the peak-season lists, Roberto Clemente's best year is 1970 at .963 OPS and Joe Medwick's is 1937 at 1.056 OPS; Joe Medwick has the stronger single season.
Roberto Clemente vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Joe Medwick in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe Medwick, with .867 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.