Roy Campanella vs Elston Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Campanella has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Roy Campanella (1948–1957) and Elston Howard (1955–1968) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 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? Roy Campanella, with 260 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roy Campanella, with .859 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roy Campanella, with .283 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Elston Howard, with 1,491 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Roy Campanella, with 1,015 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roy Campanella, with 19,598 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Roy Campanella's 1.
Roy Campanella
Elston Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella 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, and the 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Campanella | Elston Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 1,625 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 5,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 787 | 635 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 1,491 |
| Doubles | Leads: 235 | 223 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 260 | 168 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 775 |
| Walks | Leads: 608 | 376 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 786 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 10 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .321 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .496 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .859 | .748 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Campanella outpaces Elston Howard 19,598 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,031 PIV per season to 402, across 19 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).
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Campanella leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Elston Howard owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Campanella. PIV agrees: Roy Campanella grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Campanella and Elston Howard careers compare
From 1955 through 1957, Roy Campanella and Elston Howard were in the majors together. With 1,455 games against 1,625 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Elston Howard are games (1,625 to 1,455), at-bats (5,443 to 5,050), and hits (1,491 to 1,427). At the plate, Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts), while Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376). Home runs make up a larger share of Roy Campanella's hits: 260 of 1,427 for Roy Campanella, 168 of 1,491 for Elston Howard. In on-base percentage, Roy Campanella holds the edge, .363 to .321.
Roy Campanella vs Elston Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Elston Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Campanella leads Elston Howard in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Elston Howard hit more home runs?
- Roy Campanella, with 260 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roy Campanella, with .859 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roy Campanella, with .283 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Elston Howard, with 1,491 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.