Roberto Clemente vs Duke Snider: Career Stats Comparison
Duke Snider has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; 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 debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 10 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Duke Snider, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 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 | Duke Snider |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,433 | 2,143 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,220 PIV per season to 1,896 — rather than by longevity, since Duke Snider played 18 seasons to Roberto Clemente's 18. 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
Duke Snider leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: home runs, RBI, walks, stolen bases, and others. Roberto Clemente leads 5: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. 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
How the Roberto Clemente and Duke Snider careers compare
The careers of Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Duke Snider (1947–1964) overlapped from 1955 to 1964, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,433 games against 2,143 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Duke Snider struck out more than walked (1,237 to 971). Duke Snider is the more power-leaning hitter, with 407 of 2,116 hits leaving the park. In on-base percentage, Duke Snider holds the edge, .380 to .359.
Roberto Clemente vs Duke Snider: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Duke Snider?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Duke Snider leads Roberto Clemente in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.