Roberto Clemente vs Elston Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 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
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Elston Howard (1955–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 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? Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Roberto Clemente's 2.
Roberto Clemente
Elston Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Elston Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,625 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 5,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 635 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,491 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 223 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 240 | 168 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 775 |
| Walks | Leads: 621 | 376 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,230 | 786 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 10 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .274 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .321 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .475 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .834 | .748 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente outpaces Elston Howard 34,131 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,896 PIV per season to 402, across 18 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).
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Elston Howard owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roberto Clemente. PIV agrees: Roberto Clemente grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roberto Clemente and Elston Howard careers compare
The careers of Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Elston Howard (1955–1968) overlapped from 1955 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,433 games for Roberto Clemente and 1,625 for Elston Howard across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Roberto Clemente. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376). Elston Howard is the more power-leaning hitter, with 168 of 1,491 hits leaving the park.
Roberto Clemente vs Elston Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Elston Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Elston Howard hit more home runs?
- Roberto Clemente, with 240 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Roberto Clemente, with .834 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Elston Howard's 1,491.