Roberto Clemente vs Rusty Staub: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente and Rusty Staub are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Rusty Staub played 1963–1985 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 Rusty Staub (1963–1985) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Rusty Staub finished with 2,716 hits and 292 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rusty Staub, with 292 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Rusty Staub's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Rusty Staub's .279.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Rusty Staub's 2,716.
- Who drove in more runs? Rusty Staub, with 1,466 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Rusty Staub's 30,346.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Rusty Staub's 0.
Roberto Clemente
Rusty Staub
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Rusty Staub. 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 | Rusty Staub |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,951 |
| At-Bats | 9,454 | Leads: 9,720 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,189 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,716 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 499 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 47 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 292 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,466 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,255 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 888 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 47 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .431 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .793 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente leads Rusty Staub 34,131 to 30,346 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,896 vs 1,264 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
Rusty Staub — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Rusty Staub owns home runs, RBI, 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
Roberto Clemente vs Rusty Staub: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Roberto Clemente or Rusty Staub hit more home runs?
- Rusty Staub, with 292 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Rusty Staub's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Rusty Staub's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Rusty Staub's 2,716.