Bill Nicholson vs Robin Roberts: Career Stats Comparison
Bill Nicholson and Robin Roberts played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Bill Nicholson played 1936–1953 as a hitter; Robin Roberts played 1948–1966 as a pitcher.
- 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 Nicholson (1936–1953) and Robin Roberts (1948–1966) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Robin Roberts pitched, totalling 286 wins and 2,357 strikeouts; Bill Nicholson hit, totalling 1,484 hits and 235 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Robin Roberts, with 49,794 career PIV to Bill Nicholson's 21,540.
Bill Nicholson
Robin Roberts
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Robin Roberts is shown on pitching lines and Bill Nicholson on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Bill Nicholson — Hitter
| Statistic | Bill Nicholson |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,677 |
| At-Bats | 5,546 |
| Runs | 837 |
| Hits | 1,484 |
| Doubles | 272 |
| Triples | 60 |
| Home Runs | 235 |
| RBI | 948 |
| Walks | 800 |
| Strikeouts | 828 |
| Stolen Bases | 27 |
| Batting Avg | .268 |
| On-Base % | .365 |
| Slugging % | .465 |
| OPS | .830 |
Robin Roberts — Pitcher
| Statistic | Robin Roberts |
|---|---|
| Wins | 286 |
| Losses | 245 |
| Games | 676 |
| Games Started | 609 |
| Complete Games | 305 |
| Shutouts | 45 |
| Saves | 25 |
| Strikeouts | 2,357 |
| Walks | 902 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 505 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,688.2 |
| ERA | 3.41 |
| WHIP | 1.17 |
| K/9 | 4.52 |
| BB/9 | 1.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Bill Nicholson carries a career batting PIV of 21,540; Robin Roberts carries a career pitching PIV of 49,794. Robin Roberts is the higher of the two at 49,794 to 21,540. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Bill Nicholson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Robin Roberts — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Robin Roberts and Bill Nicholson: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Robin Roberts grades higher, 49,794 to 21,540. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Nicholson and Robin Roberts careers compare
From 1948 through 1953, Bill Nicholson and Robin Roberts were in the majors together. As a hitter, Bill Nicholson collected 1,484 hits and 235 home runs with a .830 OPS. Robin Roberts's pitching card shows 286 wins, a 3.41 ERA and 2,357 strikeouts. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, .935 OPS in 1944 for Bill Nicholson and 2.59 ERA in 1952 for Robin Roberts.
Bill Nicholson vs Robin Roberts: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Robin Roberts, with 49,794 career PIV to Bill Nicholson's 21,540.
- How do Bill Nicholson and Robin Roberts compare?
- Bill Nicholson played 1936–1953 and Robin Roberts played 1948–1966; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.