Roberto Clemente vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — 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; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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 Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 8,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 885 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .269 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Pee Wee Reese 34,131 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 629, across 18 seasons to 16. 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pee Wee Reese owns stolen bases 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
Roberto Clemente and Pee Wee Reese were active at the same time between 1955 and 1958. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Pee Wee Reese's edges on the table are walks (1,210 to 621), stolen bases (232 to 83), and on-base percentage (.366 to .359). At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), while Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Roberto Clemente is the more power-leaning hitter, with 240 of 3,000 hits leaving the park.
Roberto Clemente vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Pee Wee Reese in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.