Tony Lazzeri vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Lazzeri 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). Tony Lazzeri played 1926–1939 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
Tony Lazzeri (1926–1939) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tony Lazzeri finished with 1,840 hits and 178 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? Tony Lazzeri, with 178 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Tony Lazzeri's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Tony Lazzeri's .292.
- Who had more hits? Tony Lazzeri, with 1,840 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Lazzeri, with 1,191 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Tony Lazzeri's 19,403.
- Who won more championships? Tony Lazzeri, with 5 World Series titles to Jackie Robinson's 1.
Tony Lazzeri
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Lazzeri 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 1920s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tony Lazzeri | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,740 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,297 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 986 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,840 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 334 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 115 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 178 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,191 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 869 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 864 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 148 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .292 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .467 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .846 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson leads Tony Lazzeri 25,382 to 19,403 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 1,294 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 seasons to Tony Lazzeri's 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).
Tony Lazzeri — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Tony Lazzeri owns hits, 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 Tony Lazzeri and Jackie Robinson careers compare
Tony Lazzeri (1926–1939) was finished before Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,740 games for Tony Lazzeri and 1,418 for Jackie Robinson across 15 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Tony Lazzeri walked more often than struck out (869 walks, 864 strikeouts), and Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). On the bases, Jackie Robinson stole more often per game played (148 steals in 1,740 games for Tony Lazzeri, 203 in 1,418 for Jackie Robinson). Jackie Robinson's on-base percentage of .410 tops Tony Lazzeri's .380.
Tony Lazzeri vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Lazzeri or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Lazzeri leads Jackie Robinson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Tony Lazzeri or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Tony Lazzeri, with 178 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Tony Lazzeri's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Tony Lazzeri's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Lazzeri, with 1,840 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.