Eddie Mathews vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 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? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Jackie Robinson's 25,382.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Jackie Robinson's 1.
Eddie Mathews
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews 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 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,391 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,537 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,509 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,315 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 354 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,453 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,444 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .477 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Jackie Robinson 45,555 to 25,382 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,531 PIV per season to 2,307, across 18 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).
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jackie Robinson owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Eddie Mathews and Jackie Robinson careers compare
The careers of Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) overlapped from 1952 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,391 games of Eddie Mathews with 1,418 of Jackie Robinson across 18 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Jackie Robinson are stolen bases (203 to 68), batting average (.313 to .271), and on-base percentage (.410 to .376). Plate discipline differs: Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), but Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts).
Eddie Mathews vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Jackie Robinson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.