Bobby Bonds vs Ken Singleton: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Bonds and Ken Singleton are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1960s and the 1970s respectively and share 12 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- 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.
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. 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 | Bobby Bonds | Ken Singleton |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,849 | 2,082 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,043 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,969 PIV per season to 1,839, across 15 seasons to 14. 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
Bobby Bonds and Ken Singleton split the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card 6-6. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Ken Singleton higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Bonds and Ken Singleton careers compare
Bobby Bonds and Ken Singleton were active at the same time between 1970 and 1981. The two careers are close in length, 1,849 games for Bobby Bonds and 2,082 for Ken Singleton across 14 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Bobby Bonds struck out more than walked (1,757 to 914), while Ken Singleton walked more often than struck out (1,263 walks, 1,246 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Bobby Bonds's hits: 332 of 1,886 for Bobby Bonds, 246 of 2,029 for Ken Singleton. Bobby Bonds was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Bobby Bonds vs Ken Singleton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonds or Ken Singleton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- 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.