Roberto Clemente vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Dave Winfield played 1973–1995 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 Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Dave Winfield finished with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dave Winfield, with 465 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Dave Winfield's 1.
Roberto Clemente
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Dave Winfield. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 9,454 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 3,000 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield edges Roberto Clemente 34,842 to 34,131 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Dave Winfield played 23 seasons to Roberto Clemente's 18, while Roberto Clemente carries the higher per-season figure (1,896 to 1,515). 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
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Winfield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roberto Clemente owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Winfield. PIV agrees: Dave Winfield 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 Dave Winfield careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Roberto Clemente's ended in 1972, and Dave Winfield debuted in 1973. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 2,973 for Dave Winfield across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Home runs make up a larger share of Dave Winfield's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 465 of 3,110 for Dave Winfield.
Roberto Clemente vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Roberto Clemente in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.