Ken Boyer vs Elston Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Boyer 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). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Elston Howard (1955–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 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? Ken Boyer, with 282 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Boyer, with .810 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Boyer, with .287 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Boyer, with 1,141 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Boyer, with 22,279 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Ken Boyer's 1.
Ken Boyer
Elston Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer 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 | Ken Boyer | Elston Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,034 | 1,625 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,455 | 5,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,104 | 635 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,143 | 1,491 |
| Doubles | Leads: 318 | 223 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 282 | 168 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,141 | 775 |
| Walks | Leads: 713 | 376 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 786 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 105 | 10 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .287 | .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .349 | .321 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .462 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .810 | .748 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Boyer outpaces Elston Howard 22,279 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,311 PIV per season to 402, across 17 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Boyer 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 Ken Boyer. PIV agrees: Ken Boyer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Elston Howard careers compare
Ken Boyer and Elston Howard were active at the same time between 1955 and 1968. With 2,034 games against 1,625 across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Ken Boyer. At the plate, Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713), and Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376). Ken Boyer was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Ken Boyer holds the edge, .462 to .427.
Ken Boyer vs Elston Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Elston Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Boyer leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Elston Howard hit more home runs?
- Ken Boyer, with 282 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Boyer, with .810 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Boyer, with .287 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Elston Howard's 1,491.