Joe Morgan vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison

Frank Robinson 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). Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 as a hitter; Frank Robinson played 1956–1976 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 Morgan (1963–1984) and Frank Robinson (1956–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 home runs; Frank Robinson finished with 2,943 hits and 586 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who hit more home runs? Frank Robinson, with 586 to Joe Morgan's 268.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Frank Robinson, with .926 to Joe Morgan's .819.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Frank Robinson, with .294 to Joe Morgan's .271.
  • Who had more hits? Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.
  • Who drove in more runs? Frank Robinson, with 1,812 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Robinson, with 67,113 career PIV to Joe Morgan's 39,255.
  • Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Leads Frank Robinson 10 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Frank Robinson +27,858
Read the verdict ↓

Joe Morgan

Hitter · 1963–1984
Games
2,649
Hits
2,517
Home Runs
268
RBI
1,133
Avg
.271
OPS
.819
View Joe Morgan's full profile →

Frank Robinson

Hitter · 1956–1976
Games
2,808
Hits
2,943
Home Runs
586
RBI
1,812
Avg
.294
OPS
.926
View Frank Robinson's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Morgan and Frank 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Joe Morgan vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Joe Morgan Frank Robinson
Games 2,649 Leads: 2,808
At-Bats 9,277 Leads: 10,006
Runs 1,650 Leads: 1,829
Hits 2,517 Leads: 2,943
Doubles 449 Leads: 528
Triples Leads: 96 72
Home Runs 268 Leads: 586
RBI 1,133 Leads: 1,812
Walks Leads: 1,865 1,420
Strikeouts not scored 1,015 1,532
Stolen Bases Leads: 689 204
Batting Avg .271 Leads: .294
On-Base % Leads: .392 .389
Slugging % .427 Leads: .537
OPS .819 Leads: .926

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Robinson outpaces Joe Morgan 67,113 to 39,255 — driven by per-season impact — 3,051 PIV per season to 1,784 — rather than by longevity, since Frank Robinson played 22 seasons to Joe Morgan's 22. 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.

Joe Morgan
39,255
Career PIV · 1,784 per season (22 seasons)
Frank Robinson
67,113
Career PIV · 3,051 per season (22 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Joe Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS

19761.020 OPS27 HR, 111 RBI, .320 avg
1975.974 OPS17 HR, 94 RBI, .327 avg
1974.921 OPS22 HR, 67 RBI, .293 avg

Frank Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS

19661.047 OPS49 HR, 122 RBI, .316 avg
19621.045 OPS39 HR, 136 RBI, .342 avg
19611.015 OPS37 HR, 124 RBI, .323 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Frank Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Morgan owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Frank Robinson. PIV agrees: Frank Robinson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Joe Morgan and Frank Robinson careers compare

Joe Morgan and Frank Robinson were active at the same time between 1963 and 1976. With 2,649 games against 2,808 across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Joe Morgan comes out ahead, it is in triples (96 to 72), walks (1,865 to 1,420), and stolen bases (689 to 204). Plate discipline differs: Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts), but Frank Robinson struck out more than walked (1,532 to 1,420). Frank Robinson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 586 of 2,943 hits leaving the park.

Joe Morgan vs Frank Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Joe Morgan or Frank Robinson?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Frank Robinson leads Joe Morgan in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Joe Morgan or Frank Robinson hit more home runs?
Frank Robinson, with 586 to Joe Morgan's 268.
Who had the higher OPS?
Frank Robinson, with .926 to Joe Morgan's .819.
Who had the higher batting average?
Frank Robinson, with .294 to Joe Morgan's .271.
Who had more hits?
Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.

See These Players in Another Era