Roberto Clemente vs Duke Snider: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente and Duke Snider are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Duke Snider played 1947–1964 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 Duke Snider (1947–1964) — 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; Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Duke Snider, with 407 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Duke Snider, with .919 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Duke Snider's .295.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Duke Snider's 2,116.
- Who drove in more runs? Duke Snider, with 1,333 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Duke Snider, with 39,968 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roberto Clemente
Duke Snider
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Duke Snider. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Duke Snider |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 2,143 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 7,161 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,259 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,116 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 358 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 85 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 407 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,333 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 971 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 1,237 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 99 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .295 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .540 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .919 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duke Snider leads Roberto Clemente 39,968 to 34,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,220 vs 1,896 per year). 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
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Duke Snider leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Roberto Clemente owns hits, runs, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Duke Snider. PIV agrees: Duke Snider grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Roberto Clemente vs Duke Snider: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Roberto Clemente or Duke Snider hit more home runs?
- Duke Snider, with 407 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Duke Snider, with .919 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Duke Snider's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Duke Snider's 2,116.