Roberto Clemente vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Roberto Clemente's 2.
Roberto Clemente
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Babe Ruth. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,873 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 136 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .317 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Roberto Clemente 111,979 to 34,131 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 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.
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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Roberto Clemente owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Roberto Clemente debuted in 1955. With 2,433 games against 2,503 across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Roberto Clemente's edges on the table are at-bats (9,454 to 8,398), hits (3,000 to 2,873), and triples (166 to 136). At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), while Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Babe Ruth's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 714 of 2,873 for Babe Ruth.
Roberto Clemente vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Roberto Clemente in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Roberto Clemente's .317.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.