Ernie Banks vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 as a hitter; Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 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 Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — both debuted in the 1950s. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 home runs; Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Ernie Banks, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Banks, with .274 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Harmon Killebrew's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
Ernie Banks
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks and Harmon Killebrew. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,528 | 2,435 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,421 | 8,147 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 1,283 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 2,086 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,584 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Ernie Banks 48,240 to 30,636 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 1,612, across 22 seasons to 19. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ernie Banks leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Harmon Killebrew leads 5: home runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ernie Banks. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Harmon Killebrew higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Harmon Killebrew careers compare
The careers of Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) overlapped from 1954 to 1971, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,528 games against 2,435 across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763); Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 512 of 2,583 for Ernie Banks, 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew. Harmon Killebrew owns the better peak by OPS: .980 OPS in 1958 for Ernie Banks against 1.012 OPS in 1961 for Harmon Killebrew.
Ernie Banks vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Harmon Killebrew in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Banks, with .274 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.