Bill Madlock vs Brooks Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Brooks 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). Bill Madlock played 1973–1987 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 Madlock (1973–1987) and Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bill Madlock finished with 2,008 hits and 163 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 Madlock's 163.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bill Madlock, with .807 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Madlock, with .305 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits? Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Bill Madlock's 2,008.
- Who drove in more runs? Brooks Robinson, with 1,357 to Bill Madlock's 860.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bill Madlock, with 17,798 career PIV to Brooks Robinson's 9,441.
- Who won more championships? Brooks Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Bill Madlock's 1.
Bill Madlock
Brooks Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bill Madlock 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bill Madlock | Brooks Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,806 | Leads: 2,896 |
| At-Bats | 6,594 | Leads: 10,654 |
| Runs | 920 | Leads: 1,232 |
| Hits | 2,008 | Leads: 2,848 |
| Doubles | 348 | Leads: 482 |
| Triples | 34 | Leads: 68 |
| Home Runs | 163 | Leads: 268 |
| RBI | 860 | Leads: 1,357 |
| Walks | 605 | Leads: 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 510 | 990 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 174 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .365 | .322 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .442 | .401 |
| OPS | Leads: .807 | .723 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bill Madlock outpaces Brooks Robinson 17,798 to 9,441 — driven by per-season impact — 989 PIV per season to 410 — rather than by longevity, since Bill Madlock played 18 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 Madlock — top 3 seasons by OPS
Brooks Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bill Madlock leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Brooks Robinson owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bill Madlock. PIV agrees: Bill Madlock grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Madlock and Brooks Robinson careers compare
The careers of Bill Madlock (1973–1987) and Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) overlapped from 1973 to 1977, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Bill Madlock appeared in 1,806 games to Brooks Robinson's 2,896. Plate discipline differs: Bill Madlock walked more often than struck out (605 walks, 510 strikeouts), but Brooks Robinson struck out more than walked (990 to 860). On the bases, Bill Madlock stole more often per game played (174 steals in 1,806 games for Bill Madlock, 28 in 2,896 for Brooks Robinson). Bill Madlock's slugging percentage of .442 tops Brooks Robinson's .401.
Bill Madlock vs Brooks Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Madlock or Brooks Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Brooks Robinson leads Bill Madlock in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bill Madlock or Brooks Robinson hit more home runs?
- Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Bill Madlock's 163.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bill Madlock, with .807 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Madlock, with .305 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Bill Madlock's 2,008.