Hank Aaron vs Frank Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Frank Howard played 1958–1973 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 Frank Howard (1958–1973) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Frank Howard finished with 1,774 hits and 382 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 Frank Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Frank Howard's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Frank Howard's 1,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Frank Howard's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Frank Howard's 30,024.
- Who won more championships? Frank Howard, with 2 World Series titles to Hank Aaron's 1.
Hank Aaron
Frank Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Frank Howard. 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 | Hank Aaron | Frank Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 1,895 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 6,488 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 864 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 1,774 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 245 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 35 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,119 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 782 |
| Strikeouts | 1,383 | 1,460 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .499 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .851 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Frank Howard 78,640 to 30,024 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,419 vs 1,766 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Frank Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Frank Howard owns no headline categories. 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
Hank Aaron vs Frank Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Frank Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Frank Howard in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Frank Howard hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Frank Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Frank Howard's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Frank Howard's 1,774.