Roberto Clemente vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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 Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — 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; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 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 Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Jackie Robinson's 25,382.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Jackie Robinson's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson. 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 | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 764 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .313 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Jackie Robinson 34,131 to 25,382 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Jackie Robinson's 11, while Jackie Robinson carries the higher per-season figure (2,307 to 1,896). 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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jackie Robinson owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson were active at the same time between 1955 and 1956. Roberto Clemente has the far longer record, 2,433 games against 1,418 across 18 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), while Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). On the bases, Jackie Robinson stole more often per game played (83 steals in 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente, 203 in 1,418 for Jackie Robinson). In slugging percentage, Jackie Robinson holds the edge, .477 to .475.
Roberto Clemente vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Jackie Robinson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.