Norm Cash vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Norm Cash played 1958–1974 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
Norm Cash (1958–1974) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Norm Cash finished with 1,820 hits and 377 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 Norm Cash's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Norm Cash's .862.
- Who had the higher batting average? Norm Cash, with .271 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Norm Cash's 1,820.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Norm Cash's 1,103.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Norm Cash's 35,059.
- Who won more championships? Norm Cash, with 1 World Series title to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Norm Cash
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Norm Cash and Harmon Killebrew. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Norm Cash | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,089 | Leads: 2,435 |
| At-Bats | 6,705 | Leads: 8,147 |
| Runs | 1,046 | Leads: 1,283 |
| Hits | 1,820 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Doubles | 241 | Leads: 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 41 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 377 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | 1,103 | Leads: 1,584 |
| Walks | 1,043 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts | 1,091 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 43 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .271 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .488 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .862 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Norm Cash 48,240 to 35,059 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,193 vs 2,062 per year). 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).
Norm Cash — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Norm Cash owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Norm Cash vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Norm Cash or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Norm Cash in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Norm Cash or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Norm Cash's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Norm Cash's .862.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Norm Cash, with .271 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Norm Cash's 1,820.