Chris Chambliss vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew 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). Chris Chambliss played 1971–1988 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
Chris Chambliss (1971–1988) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Chris Chambliss finished with 2,109 hits and 185 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 Chris Chambliss's 185.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Chris Chambliss's .749.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chris Chambliss, with .279 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Chris Chambliss, with 2,109 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Chris Chambliss's 972.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Chris Chambliss's 9,135.
- Who won more championships? Chris Chambliss, with 2 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Chris Chambliss
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Chris Chambliss 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 | Chris Chambliss | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,175 | Leads: 2,435 |
| At-Bats | 7,571 | Leads: 8,147 |
| Runs | 912 | Leads: 1,283 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,109 | 2,086 |
| Doubles | Leads: 392 | 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 42 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 185 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | 972 | Leads: 1,584 |
| Walks | 632 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 926 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .334 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .749 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Chris Chambliss 48,240 to 9,135 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 508, across 22 seasons to 18. 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).
Chris Chambliss — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Chris Chambliss owns hits, 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
How the Chris Chambliss and Harmon Killebrew careers compare
Chris Chambliss and Harmon Killebrew were active at the same time between 1971 and 1975. With 2,175 games against 2,435 across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Chris Chambliss struck out more than walked (926 to 632); Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 185 of 2,109 for Chris Chambliss, 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew. Harmon Killebrew's slugging percentage of .509 tops Chris Chambliss's .415. Harmon Killebrew owns the better peak by OPS: .847 OPS in 1983 for Chris Chambliss against 1.012 OPS in 1961 for Harmon Killebrew.
Chris Chambliss vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Chambliss or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Chris Chambliss in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Chris Chambliss or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Chris Chambliss's 185.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Chris Chambliss's .749.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chris Chambliss, with .279 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Chris Chambliss, with 2,109 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.