Bill Freehan vs Brooks Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Brooks Robinson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bill Freehan played 1961–1976 as a hitter; Brooks Robinson played 1955–1977 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
Bill Freehan (1961–1976) and Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bill Freehan finished with 1,591 hits and 200 home runs; Brooks Robinson finished with 2,848 hits and 268 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Freehan, with .752 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average? Brooks Robinson, with .267 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits? Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.
- Who drove in more runs? Brooks Robinson, with 1,357 to Bill Freehan's 758.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Freehan, with 12,940 career PIV to Brooks Robinson's 9,441.
- Who won more championships? Brooks Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Freehan's 1.
Bill Freehan
Brooks Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bill Freehan and Brooks Robinson. 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bill Freehan | Brooks Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,774 | Leads: 2,896 |
| At-Bats | 6,073 | Leads: 10,654 |
| Runs | 706 | Leads: 1,232 |
| Hits | 1,591 | Leads: 2,848 |
| Doubles | 241 | Leads: 482 |
| Triples | 35 | Leads: 68 |
| Home Runs | 200 | Leads: 268 |
| RBI | 758 | Leads: 1,357 |
| Walks | 626 | Leads: 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 753 | 990 |
| Stolen Bases | 24 | Leads: 28 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .340 | .322 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .412 | .401 |
| OPS | Leads: .752 | .723 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Freehan outpaces Brooks Robinson 12,940 to 9,441 — driven by per-season impact — 863 PIV per season to 410 — rather than by longevity, since Bill Freehan played 15 seasons to Brooks Robinson's 23. 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).
Bill Freehan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Brooks Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Brooks Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Freehan owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Brooks Robinson. Note that PIV actually grades Bill Freehan ahead, which means Brooks Robinson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Freehan and Brooks Robinson careers compare
From 1961 through 1976, Bill Freehan and Brooks Robinson were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Bill Freehan appeared in 1,774 games to Brooks Robinson's 2,896. Where Bill Freehan comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.340 to .322), slugging percentage (.412 to .401), and OPS (.752 to .723). Bill Freehan struck out more than walked (753 to 626); Brooks Robinson struck out more than walked (990 to 860). Home runs make up a larger share of Bill Freehan's hits: 200 of 1,591 for Bill Freehan, 268 of 2,848 for Brooks Robinson. Bill Freehan's on-base percentage of .340 tops Brooks Robinson's .322.
Bill Freehan vs Brooks Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Freehan or Brooks Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Brooks Robinson leads Bill Freehan in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bill Freehan or Brooks Robinson hit more home runs?
- Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Bill Freehan's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Freehan, with .752 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Brooks Robinson, with .267 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.