Joe Gordon vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Jackie Robinson 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). Joe Gordon played 1938–1950 as a hitter; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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
Joe Gordon (1938–1950) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Gordon finished with 1,530 hits and 253 home runs; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe Gordon, with 253 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits? Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Gordon, with 975 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Joe Gordon's 18,128.
- Who won more championships? Joe Gordon, with 5 World Series titles to Jackie Robinson's 1.
Joe Gordon
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Gordon and Jackie 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 1930s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Gordon | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,566 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,707 | 5,006 |
| Runs | 914 | Leads: 974 |
| Hits | 1,530 | Leads: 1,568 |
| Doubles | 264 | Leads: 287 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 253 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 975 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 759 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 702 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 89 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .357 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .466 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Joe Gordon 25,382 to 18,128 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 1,648 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 seasons to Joe Gordon's 11. 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).
Joe Gordon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Joe Gordon owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jackie Robinson. PIV agrees: Jackie Robinson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Gordon and Jackie Robinson careers compare
Joe Gordon and Jackie Robinson were active at the same time between 1947 and 1950. With 1,566 games against 1,418 across 11 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Joe Gordon walked more often than struck out (759 walks, 702 strikeouts); Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe Gordon's hits: 253 of 1,530 for Joe Gordon, 141 of 1,568 for Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Jackie Robinson holds the edge, .477 to .466.
Joe Gordon vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Gordon or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jackie Robinson leads Joe Gordon in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Gordon or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Joe Gordon, with 253 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.