Hank Aaron vs Richie Ashburn: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Richie Ashburn played 1948–1962 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Richie Ashburn finished with 2,574 hits and 29 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average? Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Richie Ashburn's 2,574.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Richie Ashburn's 586.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Richie Ashburn's 18,707.
- Who won more championships? Hank Aaron, with 1 World Series title to Richie Ashburn's 0.
Hank Aaron
Richie Ashburn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Richie Ashburn. 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 | Hank Aaron | Richie Ashburn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,189 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 8,365 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,322 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,574 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 317 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 109 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 29 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 586 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,198 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 571 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 234 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .308 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .396 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .382 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .778 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Richie Ashburn 78,640 to 18,707 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 1,247, across 23 seasons to 15. 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Richie Ashburn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Richie Ashburn owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Richie Ashburn careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Richie Ashburn (1948–1962) overlapped from 1954 to 1962, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Hank Aaron has the far longer record, 3,298 games against 2,189 across 23 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Richie Ashburn's edges on the table are triples (109 to 98), batting average (.308 to .305), and on-base percentage (.396 to .374). Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts); Richie Ashburn walked more often than struck out (1,198 walks, 571 strikeouts). Hank Aaron is the more power-leaning hitter, with 755 of 3,771 hits leaving the park.
Hank Aaron vs Richie Ashburn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Richie Ashburn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Richie Ashburn in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Richie Ashburn hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Richie Ashburn's 29.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Richie Ashburn's .778.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Richie Ashburn, with .308 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Richie Ashburn's 2,574.