Ernie Banks vs Elston Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Elston Howard (1955–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 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? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ernie Banks, with .830 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .274.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ernie Banks, with 30,636 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Elston Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Elston Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,625 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 5,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 635 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,491 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 223 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 168 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 775 |
| Walks | Leads: 763 | 376 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 786 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 10 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .330 | .321 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .830 | .748 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ernie Banks outpaces Elston Howard 30,636 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,612 PIV per season to 402, across 19 seasons to 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks 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 Ernie Banks. PIV agrees: Ernie Banks grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Elston Howard careers compare
Ernie Banks and Elston Howard were active at the same time between 1955 and 1968. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ernie Banks appeared in 2,528 games to Elston Howard's 1,625. Ernie Banks leads every scored row of the table. Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763); Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376). Home runs make up a larger share of Ernie Banks's hits: 512 of 2,583 for Ernie Banks, 168 of 1,491 for Elston Howard. Ernie Banks's slugging percentage of .500 tops Elston Howard's .427.
Ernie Banks vs Elston Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Elston Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Elston Howard hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ernie Banks, with .830 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Elston Howard's 1,491.