Roberto Clemente vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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 Stan Musial (1941–1963) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 9 seasons. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Stan Musial, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Stan Musial, with 475 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
Roberto Clemente
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Stan Musial. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,433 | 3,026 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,454 | 10,972 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 1,949 |
| Hits | 3,000 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 166 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 78 |
| Batting Avg | .317 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Roberto Clemente 83,624 to 34,131 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,801 PIV per season to 1,896, across 22 seasons to 18. 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
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Stan Musial leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Roberto Clemente leads 1: stolen bases. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial 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 Stan Musial careers compare
Roberto Clemente and Stan Musial were active at the same time between 1955 and 1963. With 2,433 games against 3,026 across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Roberto Clemente comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (83 to 78). At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), while Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). Stan Musial is the more power-leaning hitter, with 475 of 3,630 hits leaving the park. Stan Musial's on-base percentage of .417 tops Roberto Clemente's .359.
Roberto Clemente vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Roberto Clemente in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.