Ken Boyer vs Duke Snider: Career Stats Comparison
Duke Snider has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Duke Snider played 1947–1964 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 Duke Snider (1947–1964) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 home runs; Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Duke Snider, with 407 to Ken Boyer's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Duke Snider, with .919 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Duke Snider, with .295 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits? Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Duke Snider's 2,116.
- Who drove in more runs? Duke Snider, with 1,333 to Ken Boyer's 1,141.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Duke Snider, with 39,968 career PIV to Ken Boyer's 22,279.
- Who won more championships? Duke Snider, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Boyer's 1.
Ken Boyer
Duke Snider
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer and Duke Snider. 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, and the 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Boyer | Duke Snider |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,034 | Leads: 2,143 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,455 | 7,161 |
| Runs | 1,104 | Leads: 1,259 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,143 | 2,116 |
| Doubles | 318 | Leads: 358 |
| Triples | 68 | Leads: 85 |
| Home Runs | 282 | Leads: 407 |
| RBI | 1,141 | Leads: 1,333 |
| Walks | 713 | Leads: 971 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 1,237 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 105 | 99 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .349 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .540 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .919 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duke Snider outpaces Ken Boyer 39,968 to 22,279 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,220 PIV per season to 1,311, across 18 seasons to 17. 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
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Duke Snider leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Ken Boyer owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Duke Snider. PIV agrees: Duke Snider 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 Duke Snider careers compare
From 1955 through 1964, Ken Boyer and Duke Snider were in the majors together. With 2,034 games against 2,143 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ken Boyer are at-bats (7,455 to 7,161), hits (2,143 to 2,116), and stolen bases (105 to 99). Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713); Duke Snider struck out more than walked (1,237 to 971). Home runs make up a larger share of Duke Snider's hits: 282 of 2,143 for Ken Boyer, 407 of 2,116 for Duke Snider. Ken Boyer was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ken Boyer vs Duke Snider: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Duke Snider?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Duke Snider leads Ken Boyer in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Duke Snider hit more home runs?
- Duke Snider, with 407 to Ken Boyer's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Duke Snider, with .919 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Duke Snider, with .295 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Boyer, with 2,143 to Duke Snider's 2,116.