Brooks Robinson vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Brooks Robinson 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). Brooks Robinson played 1955–1977 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
Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Brooks Robinson finished with 2,848 hits and 268 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? Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits? Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Brooks Robinson, with 1,357 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Brooks Robinson's 9,441.
- Who won more championships? Brooks Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Jackie Robinson's 1.
Brooks Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brooks Robinson 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, and the 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Brooks Robinson | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,896 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,654 | 5,006 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,232 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,848 | 1,568 |
| Doubles | Leads: 482 | 287 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 268 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,357 | 764 |
| Walks | Leads: 860 | 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 990 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .322 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .401 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .723 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Brooks Robinson 25,382 to 9,441 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 410 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 seasons to Brooks Robinson'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.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Brooks Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Brooks Robinson owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Brooks Robinson and Jackie Robinson careers compare
The careers of Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) overlapped from 1955 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Brooks Robinson has the far longer record, 2,896 games against 1,418 across 23 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Brooks Robinson struck out more than walked (990 to 860), while Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts). Jackie Robinson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Jackie Robinson holds the edge, .477 to .401.
Brooks Robinson vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brooks Robinson or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Brooks Robinson leads Jackie Robinson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Brooks Robinson or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Brooks Robinson, with 268 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Brooks Robinson, with 2,848 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.