Jim Rice 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). Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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
Jim Rice (1974–1989) and Frank Robinson (1956–1976) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 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 Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Frank Robinson, with .926 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Frank Robinson's .294.
- Who had more hits? Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Frank Robinson, with 1,812 to Jim Rice's 1,451.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Robinson, with 67,113 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
- Who won more championships? Frank Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Rice's 0.
Frank Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Rice 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Rice | Frank Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,089 | Leads: 2,808 |
| At-Bats | 8,225 | Leads: 10,006 |
| Runs | 1,249 | Leads: 1,829 |
| Hits | 2,452 | Leads: 2,943 |
| Doubles | 373 | Leads: 528 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 382 | Leads: 586 |
| RBI | 1,451 | Leads: 1,812 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 1,420 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,423 | 1,532 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 204 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .294 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .389 |
| Slugging % | .502 | Leads: .537 |
| OPS | .854 | Leads: .926 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Robinson outpaces Jim Rice 67,113 to 31,418 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,051 PIV per season to 1,964, 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.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Frank Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Frank Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Rice owns batting average. 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 Jim Rice and Frank Robinson careers compare
The careers of Jim Rice (1974–1989) and Frank Robinson (1956–1976) overlapped from 1974 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,089 games for Jim Rice and 2,808 for Frank Robinson across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jim Rice are triples (79 to 72) and batting average (.298 to .294). At the plate, Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670), and Frank Robinson struck out more than walked (1,532 to 1,420). Frank Robinson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Jim Rice vs Frank Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Rice or Frank Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Frank Robinson leads Jim Rice in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jim Rice or Frank Robinson hit more home runs?
- Frank Robinson, with 586 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Frank Robinson, with .926 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Frank Robinson's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Jim Rice's 2,452.