Tony Perez vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison

Frank Robinson has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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

Tony Perez (1964–1986) and Frank Robinson (1956–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 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 Tony Perez's 379.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Frank Robinson, with .926 to Tony Perez's .804.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Frank Robinson, with .294 to Tony Perez's .279.
  • Who had more hits? Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Tony Perez's 2,732.
  • Who drove in more runs? Frank Robinson, with 1,812 to Tony Perez's 1,652.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Robinson, with 67,113 career PIV to Tony Perez's 28,896.
  • Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Leads Frank Robinson 13 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Frank Robinson +38,217
Read the verdict ↓

Tony Perez

Hitter · 1964–1986
Games
2,777
Hits
2,732
Home Runs
379
RBI
1,652
Avg
.279
OPS
.804
View Tony Perez'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 Tony Perez 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.

Tony Perez vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Tony Perez Frank Robinson
Games 2,777 Leads: 2,808
At-Bats 9,778 Leads: 10,006
Runs 1,272 Leads: 1,829
Hits 2,732 Leads: 2,943
Doubles 505 Leads: 528
Triples Leads: 79 72
Home Runs 379 Leads: 586
RBI 1,652 Leads: 1,812
Walks 925 Leads: 1,420
Strikeouts not scored 1,867 1,532
Stolen Bases 49 Leads: 204
Batting Avg .279 Leads: .294
On-Base % .341 Leads: .389
Slugging % .463 Leads: .537
OPS .804 Leads: .926

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Robinson outpaces Tony Perez 67,113 to 28,896 — driven by per-season impact — 3,051 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Frank Robinson played 22 seasons to Tony Perez'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.

Tony Perez
28,896
Career PIV · 1,256 per season (23 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).

Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS

1970.990 OPS40 HR, 129 RBI, .317 avg
1973.919 OPS27 HR, 101 RBI, .314 avg
1969.883 OPS37 HR, 122 RBI, .294 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 Tony Perez owns no headline categories. 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 Tony Perez and Frank Robinson careers compare

Tony Perez and Frank Robinson were active at the same time between 1964 and 1976. With 2,777 games against 2,808 across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Tony Perez's edges on the table are triples (79 to 72). At the plate, Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925), and 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. On the bases, Frank Robinson stole more often per game played (49 steals in 2,777 games for Tony Perez, 204 in 2,808 for Frank Robinson).

Tony Perez vs Frank Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Tony Perez or Frank Robinson?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Frank Robinson leads Tony Perez in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Tony Perez or Frank Robinson hit more home runs?
Frank Robinson, with 586 to Tony Perez's 379.
Who had the higher OPS?
Frank Robinson, with .926 to Tony Perez's .804.
Who had the higher batting average?
Frank Robinson, with .294 to Tony Perez's .279.
Who had more hits?
Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Tony Perez's 2,732.

See These Players in Another Era