Roberto Clemente vs Ichiro Suzuki: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Ichiro Suzuki's .311.
- Who had more hits? Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Roberto Clemente
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,653 |
| At-Bats | 9,454 | Leads: 9,934 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 1,420 |
| Hits | 3,000 | Leads: 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 362 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 780 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 34,131 to 6,671 — driven by per-season impact — 1,896 PIV per season to 334 — rather than by longevity, since Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons to Ichiro Suzuki's 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Ichiro Suzuki owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) was finished before Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,433 games against 2,653 across 18 and 20 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 Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Roberto Clemente's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki. On the bases, Ichiro Suzuki stole more often per game played (83 steals in 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente, 509 in 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki).
Roberto Clemente vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Ichiro Suzuki in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Ichiro Suzuki's .311.
- Who had more hits?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with 3,089 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.