Dick Allen vs Elston Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Dick Allen has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dick Allen played 1963–1977 as a hitter; Elston Howard played 1955–1968 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 Elston Howard (1955–1968) — 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; Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dick Allen, with 351 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dick Allen, with .912 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dick Allen, with .292 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Dick Allen, with 1,848 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Dick Allen, with 1,119 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dick Allen, with 40,487 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Dick Allen's 0.
Dick Allen
Elston Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dick Allen and Elston Howard. 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Allen | Elston Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,749 | 1,625 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,332 | 5,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,099 | 635 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,848 | 1,491 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 223 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 351 | 168 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,119 | 775 |
| Walks | Leads: 894 | 376 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,556 | 786 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 133 | 10 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .321 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .912 | .748 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dick Allen outpaces Elston Howard 40,487 to 6,426 — driven by per-season impact — 2,699 PIV per season to 402 — rather than by longevity, since Dick Allen played 15 seasons to Elston Howard's 16. 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).
Dick Allen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dick Allen leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Elston Howard owns no headline categories. 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
How the Dick Allen and Elston Howard careers compare
Dick Allen and Elston Howard were active at the same time between 1963 and 1968. The two careers are close in length, 1,749 games for Dick Allen and 1,625 for Elston Howard across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Dick Allen. Dick Allen struck out more than walked (1,556 to 894); Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376). Dick Allen is the more power-leaning hitter, with 351 of 1,848 hits leaving the park.
Dick Allen vs Elston Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Allen or Elston Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dick Allen leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dick Allen or Elston Howard hit more home runs?
- Dick Allen, with 351 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dick Allen, with .912 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dick Allen, with .292 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Dick Allen, with 1,848 to Elston Howard's 1,491.