Roberto Clemente vs Christian Yelich: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Christian Yelich has played 2013–present 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 Christian Yelich (2013–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 home runs; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Christian Yelich, with 245 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Christian Yelich's 20,940.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Christian Yelich's 0.
Roberto Clemente
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Christian Yelich. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 6,550 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,102 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,845 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 37 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 910 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Christian Yelich 34,131 to 20,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 1,611, across 18 seasons to 13. 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
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Christian Yelich owns home runs, stolen bases, 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
How the Roberto Clemente and Christian Yelich careers compare
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) was finished before Christian Yelich (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,433 games against 1,734 across 18 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Christian Yelich's edges on the table are home runs (245 to 240), walks (883 to 621), and stolen bases (232 to 83). Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621); Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Home runs make up a larger share of Christian Yelich's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 245 of 1,845 for Christian Yelich. Because Christian Yelich is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Roberto Clemente vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Christian Yelich in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Christian Yelich, with 245 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.