Pee Wee Reese vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; 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
Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — both broke in during the 1940s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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? Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Pee Wee Reese
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pee Wee Reese 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pee Wee Reese | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,166 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,058 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,338 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,170 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 330 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 80 | 55 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 885 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,210 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 890 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 232 | 203 |
| Batting Avg | .269 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .366 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .377 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .743 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Pee Wee Reese 25,382 to 10,057 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 629 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 seasons to Pee Wee Reese's 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.
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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Pee Wee Reese owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jackie Robinson. PIV agrees: Jackie 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
The careers of Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) overlapped from 1947 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Pee Wee Reese has the far longer record, 2,166 games against 1,418 across 16 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts); Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jackie Robinson's hits: 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese, 141 of 1,568 for Jackie Robinson.
Pee Wee Reese vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pee Wee Reese or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Jackie Robinson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pee Wee Reese or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.