George Brett vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 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 hit more home runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Harmon Killebrew's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
- Who won more championships? George Brett, with 1 World Series title to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
George Brett
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Harmon Killebrew. 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,435 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 8,147 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 1,283 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,086 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 317 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 1,584 |
| Walks | 1,096 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .857 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew leads George Brett 48,240 to 41,511 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 1,977, across 22 seasons to 21. 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Harmon Killebrew owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Brett. Note that PIV actually grades Harmon Killebrew ahead, which means George Brett's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Harmon Killebrew careers compare
The careers of George Brett (1973–1993) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) overlapped from 1973 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,435 for Harmon Killebrew across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), while Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559). Harmon Killebrew is the more power-leaning hitter, with 573 of 2,086 hits leaving the park. George Brett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
George Brett vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Harmon Killebrew in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.