Rogers Hornsby vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 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? Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Jackie Robinson's .887.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Jackie Robinson's 25,382.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Rogers Hornsby
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby 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 1910s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,259 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,173 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,579 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,930 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 301 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,038 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 135 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .313 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .410 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .477 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Jackie Robinson 68,443 to 25,382 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 2,307, across 24 seasons to 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).
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jackie Robinson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rogers Hornsby and Jackie Robinson careers compare
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) was finished before Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,259 games of Rogers Hornsby with 1,418 of Jackie Robinson across 24 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Jackie Robinson's edges on the table are stolen bases (203 to 135). At the plate, Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), and Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Jackie Robinson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Rogers Hornsby holds the edge, .577 to .477.
Rogers Hornsby vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Jackie Robinson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 301 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Jackie Robinson's .887.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.