Orlando Cepeda vs Ryan Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Ryan Howard played 2004–2016 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Ryan Howard (2004–2016) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Ryan Howard finished with 1,475 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ryan Howard, with 382 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Howard, with .859 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Ryan Howard's 1,194.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Ryan Howard's 19,167.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Ryan Howard's 1.
Orlando Cepeda
Ryan Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Ryan 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 1950s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Ryan Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,124 | 1,572 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 5,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,131 | 848 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 1,475 |
| Doubles | Leads: 417 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 27 | 21 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,194 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 709 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,843 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .258 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .350 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Ryan Howard 32,785 to 19,167 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,726 PIV per season to 1,474, across 19 seasons to 13. 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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ryan Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ryan Howard owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orlando Cepeda and Ryan Howard careers compare
No season is shared: Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974, Ryan Howard 2004–2016. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 1,572 for Ryan Howard across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ryan Howard's edges on the table are home runs (382 to 379), walks (709 to 588), and slugging percentage (.515 to .499). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709). Home runs make up a larger share of Ryan Howard's hits: 379 of 2,351 for Orlando Cepeda, 382 of 1,475 for Ryan Howard.
Orlando Cepeda vs Ryan Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Ryan Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Ryan Howard in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Ryan Howard hit more home runs?
- Ryan Howard, with 382 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Howard, with .859 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.