Roberto Clemente vs Tony Oliva: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Tony Oliva played 1962–1976 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 Tony Oliva (1962–1976) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 11 seasons. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Tony Oliva finished with 1,917 hits and 220 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Roberto Clemente, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Tony Oliva's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Tony Oliva's .304.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Tony Oliva's 1,917.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Tony Oliva's 947.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Tony Oliva's 23,924.
Roberto Clemente
Tony Oliva
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Tony Oliva. 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 | Tony Oliva |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,433 | 1,676 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,454 | 6,301 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 870 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,917 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 329 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 48 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 220 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 947 |
| Walks | Leads: 621 | 448 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 645 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 86 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .304 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .353 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .830 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Tony Oliva 34,131 to 23,924 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 1,595, across 18 seasons to 15. 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
Tony Oliva — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Roberto Clemente leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Tony Oliva leads 2: stolen bases and slugging percentage. 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 Tony Oliva careers compare
From 1962 through 1972, Roberto Clemente and Tony Oliva were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 1,676 for Tony Oliva across 18 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Tony Oliva are stolen bases (86 to 83) and slugging percentage (.476 to .475). At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Tony Oliva struck out more than walked (645 to 448). Home runs make up a larger share of Tony Oliva's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 220 of 1,917 for Tony Oliva.
Roberto Clemente vs Tony Oliva: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Tony Oliva?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Tony Oliva in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Tony Oliva hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Tony Oliva's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Tony Oliva's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Tony Oliva's 1,917.