Jackie Robinson vs Johnny Temple: Career Stats Comparison
Jackie 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). Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 as a hitter; Johnny Temple played 1952–1964 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
Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) and Johnny Temple (1952–1964) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 home runs; Johnny Temple finished with 1,484 hits and 22 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 Johnny Temple's 22.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Johnny Temple's .713.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Johnny Temple's .284.
- Who had more hits? Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Johnny Temple's 1,484.
- Who drove in more runs? Jackie Robinson, with 764 to Johnny Temple's 395.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Johnny Temple's 2,226.
- Who won more championships? Jackie Robinson, with 1 World Series title to Johnny Temple's 0.
Jackie Robinson
Johnny Temple
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jackie Robinson and Johnny Temple. 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.
| Statistic | Jackie Robinson | Johnny Temple |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,418 | Leads: 1,420 |
| At-Bats | 5,006 | Leads: 5,218 |
| Runs | Leads: 974 | 720 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,568 | 1,484 |
| Doubles | Leads: 287 | 208 |
| Triples | Leads: 55 | 36 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 141 | 22 |
| RBI | Leads: 764 | 395 |
| Walks | Leads: 756 | 648 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 291 | 338 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 203 | 140 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .410 | .363 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .477 | .351 |
| OPS | Leads: .887 | .713 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Johnny Temple 25,382 to 2,226 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 159 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 seasons to Johnny Temple's 14. 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).
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Temple — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Temple owns no headline categories. 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 Jackie Robinson and Johnny Temple careers compare
From 1952 through 1956, Jackie Robinson and Johnny Temple were in the majors together. With 1,418 games against 1,420 across 11 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Johnny Temple's edges on the table are games (1,420 to 1,418) and at-bats (5,218 to 5,006). At the plate, Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts), and Johnny Temple walked more often than struck out (648 walks, 338 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jackie Robinson's hits: 141 of 1,568 for Jackie Robinson, 22 of 1,484 for Johnny Temple. Jackie Robinson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Jackie Robinson vs Johnny Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jackie Robinson or Johnny Temple?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jackie Robinson leads Johnny Temple in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jackie Robinson or Johnny Temple hit more home runs?
- Jackie Robinson, with 141 to Johnny Temple's 22.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Johnny Temple's .713.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Johnny Temple's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Johnny Temple's 1,484.