Roberto Clemente vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roberto Clemente
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 349 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 768 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Ben Zobrist 34,131 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 714, across 18 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist owns 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) was finished before Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 1,651 for Ben Zobrist across 18 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ben Zobrist comes out ahead, it is in walks (832 to 621) and stolen bases (116 to 83). Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621); Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Home runs make up a larger share of Ben Zobrist's hits: 240 of 3,000 for Roberto Clemente, 167 of 1,566 for Ben Zobrist.
Roberto Clemente vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Ben Zobrist in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.