Dick Allen vs Ernie Banks: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Dick Allen played 1963–1977 as a hitter; Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 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
Dick Allen (1963–1977) and Ernie Banks (1953–1971) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dick Allen finished with 1,848 hits and 351 home runs; Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Dick Allen's 351.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dick Allen, with .912 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dick Allen, with .292 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Dick Allen's 1,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Dick Allen's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dick Allen, with 40,487 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
Dick Allen
Ernie Banks
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dick Allen and Ernie Banks. 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 | Dick Allen | Ernie Banks |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,749 | Leads: 2,528 |
| At-Bats | 6,332 | Leads: 9,421 |
| Runs | 1,099 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Hits | 1,848 | Leads: 2,583 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 407 |
| Triples | 79 | Leads: 90 |
| Home Runs | 351 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 1,119 | Leads: 1,636 |
| Walks | Leads: 894 | 763 |
| Strikeouts | 1,556 | 1,236 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 133 | 50 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .330 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .912 | .830 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dick Allen leads Ernie Banks 40,487 to 30,636 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,699 vs 1,612 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).
Dick Allen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dick Allen leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Ernie Banks owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dick Allen. PIV agrees: Dick Allen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Dick Allen vs Ernie Banks: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Allen or Ernie Banks?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Dick Allen in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Dick Allen or Ernie Banks hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Dick Allen's 351.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dick Allen, with .912 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dick Allen, with .292 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Dick Allen's 1,848.