Pee Wee Reese vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison

Frank Robinson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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

Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) and Frank Robinson (1956–1976) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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 Pee Wee Reese's 126.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Frank Robinson, with .926 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Frank Robinson, with .294 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
  • Who had more hits? Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
  • Who drove in more runs? Frank Robinson, with 1,812 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Robinson, with 67,113 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
  • Who won more championships? Frank Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Leads Frank Robinson 12 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Frank Robinson +57,056
Read the verdict ↓

Pee Wee Reese

Hitter · 1940–1958
Games
2,166
Hits
2,170
Home Runs
126
RBI
885
Avg
.269
OPS
.743
View Pee Wee Reese'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 Pee Wee Reese 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 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Pee Wee Reese vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Pee Wee Reese Frank Robinson
Games 2,166 Leads: 2,808
At-Bats 8,058 Leads: 10,006
Runs 1,338 Leads: 1,829
Hits 2,170 Leads: 2,943
Doubles 330 Leads: 528
Triples Leads: 80 72
Home Runs 126 Leads: 586
RBI 885 Leads: 1,812
Walks 1,210 Leads: 1,420
Strikeouts not scored 890 1,532
Stolen Bases Leads: 232 204
Batting Avg .269 Leads: .294
On-Base % .366 Leads: .389
Slugging % .377 Leads: .537
OPS .743 Leads: .926

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Robinson outpaces Pee Wee Reese 67,113 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,051 PIV per season to 629, across 22 seasons to 16. 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.

Pee Wee Reese
10,057
Career PIV · 629 per season (16 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).

Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS

1954.859 OPS10 HR, 69 RBI, .309 avg
1947.841 OPS12 HR, 73 RBI, .284 avg
1949.806 OPS16 HR, 73 RBI, .279 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 Pee Wee Reese owns stolen bases. 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 Pee Wee Reese and Frank Robinson careers compare

From 1956 through 1958, Pee Wee Reese and Frank Robinson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,166 games for Pee Wee Reese and 2,808 for Frank Robinson across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Pee Wee Reese's edges on the table are triples (80 to 72) and stolen bases (232 to 204). At the plate, Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts), while 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.

Pee Wee Reese vs Frank Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Pee Wee Reese or Frank Robinson?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Frank Robinson leads Pee Wee Reese in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Pee Wee Reese or Frank Robinson hit more home runs?
Frank Robinson, with 586 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
Who had the higher OPS?
Frank Robinson, with .926 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
Who had the higher batting average?
Frank Robinson, with .294 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
Who had more hits?
Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.

See These Players in Another Era