Frank Robinson vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Frank Robinson has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Frank Robinson played 1956–1976 as a hitter; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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
Frank Robinson (1956–1976) and Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Frank Robinson finished with 2,943 hits and 586 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 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 Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Frank Robinson, with .926 to Willie Stargell's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average? Frank Robinson, with .294 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits? Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.
- Who drove in more runs? Frank Robinson, with 1,812 to Willie Stargell's 1,540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Robinson, with 67,113 career PIV to Willie Stargell's 42,804.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Frank Robinson
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frank Robinson and Willie Stargell. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Frank Robinson | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,808 | 2,360 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,006 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,829 | 1,194 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,943 | 2,232 |
| Doubles | Leads: 528 | 423 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 586 | 475 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,812 | 1,540 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,420 | 937 |
| Strikeouts | 1,532 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 204 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .294 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .389 | .360 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .529 |
| OPS | Leads: .926 | .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Robinson outpaces Willie Stargell 67,113 to 42,804 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,051 vs 2,038 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Frank Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Frank Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Stargell 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
Frank Robinson vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Frank Robinson or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Frank Robinson leads Willie Stargell in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Frank Robinson or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Frank Robinson, with 586 to Willie Stargell's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Frank Robinson, with .926 to Willie Stargell's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Frank Robinson, with .294 to Willie Stargell's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Willie Stargell's 2,232.