Bobby Bonds vs Ken Singleton: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Singleton has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Bobby Bonds played 1968–1981 as a hitter; Ken Singleton played 1970–1984 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
Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) and Ken Singleton (1970–1984) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Bonds finished with 1,886 hits and 332 home runs; Ken Singleton finished with 2,029 hits and 246 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bobby Bonds, with 332 to Ken Singleton's 246.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .824.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Singleton, with .282 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits? Ken Singleton, with 2,029 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Singleton, with 1,065 to Bobby Bonds's 1,024.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Singleton, with 29,530 career PIV to Bobby Bonds's 25,739.
- Who won more championships? Ken Singleton, with 1 World Series title to Bobby Bonds's 0.
Bobby Bonds
Ken Singleton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Bonds and Ken Singleton. 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 | Bobby Bonds | Ken Singleton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,849 | Leads: 2,082 |
| At-Bats | 7,043 | Leads: 7,189 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,258 | 985 |
| Hits | 1,886 | Leads: 2,029 |
| Doubles | 302 | Leads: 317 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 25 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 332 | 246 |
| RBI | 1,024 | Leads: 1,065 |
| Walks | 914 | Leads: 1,263 |
| Strikeouts | 1,757 | 1,246 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 461 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .353 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .471 | .436 |
| OPS | Leads: .824 | .824 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Singleton leads Bobby Bonds 29,530 to 25,739 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,969 vs 1,716 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).
Bobby Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Singleton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Singleton leads in hits, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Bobby Bonds owns home runs, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Singleton. PIV agrees: Ken Singleton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Bobby Bonds vs Ken Singleton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonds or Ken Singleton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Singleton leads Bobby Bonds in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Bobby Bonds or Ken Singleton hit more home runs?
- Bobby Bonds, with 332 to Ken Singleton's 246.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .824.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Singleton, with .282 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Singleton, with 2,029 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.