Roberto Clemente vs Thurman Munson: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Thurman Munson played 1969–1979 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 Thurman Munson (1969–1979) — 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; Thurman Munson finished with 1,558 hits and 113 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 Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Thurman Munson's .292.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Thurman Munson's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Thurman Munson's 8,466.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roberto Clemente
Thurman Munson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Thurman Munson. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Thurman Munson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,423 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,344 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 696 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,558 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 32 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 621 | 438 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 571 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .410 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .756 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Thurman Munson 34,131 to 8,466 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 770, across 18 seasons to 11. 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
Thurman Munson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Thurman Munson owns no headline categories. 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 Thurman Munson careers compare
From 1969 through 1972, Roberto Clemente and Thurman Munson were in the majors together. Roberto Clemente has the far longer record, 2,433 games against 1,423 across 18 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Roberto Clemente. Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621); Thurman Munson struck out more than walked (571 to 438). Roberto Clemente's slugging percentage of .475 tops Thurman Munson's .410. On the peak-season lists, Roberto Clemente's best year is 1970 at .963 OPS and Thurman Munson's is 1973 at .849 OPS; Roberto Clemente has the stronger single season.
Roberto Clemente vs Thurman Munson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Thurman Munson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Thurman Munson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Thurman Munson hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Thurman Munson's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.