Roberto Clemente vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 12 seasons. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Carl Yastrzemski, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
Roberto Clemente
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,433 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,454 | 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,416 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 3,000 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .462 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Roberto Clemente 54,310 to 34,131 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,896, across 23 seasons to 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Carl Yastrzemski leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Roberto Clemente leads 3: triples, batting average, and slugging percentage. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
From 1961 through 1972, Roberto Clemente and Carl Yastrzemski were in the majors together. With 2,433 games against 3,308 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Roberto Clemente are triples (166 to 59), batting average (.317 to .285), and slugging percentage (.475 to .462). Plate discipline differs: Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Carl Yastrzemski's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski.
Roberto Clemente vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Roberto Clemente in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Roberto Clemente's 3,000.