Roberto Clemente vs Frank Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Roberto Clemente has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 as a hitter; Frank Howard played 1958–1973 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 Frank Howard (1958–1973) — 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; Frank Howard finished with 1,774 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? Frank Howard, with 382 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Frank Howard, with .851 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Frank Howard's 1,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Roberto Clemente, with 1,305 to Frank Howard's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Roberto Clemente, with 34,131 career PIV to Frank Howard's 30,024.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Roberto Clemente
Frank Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Frank Howard. 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 | Roberto Clemente | Frank Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,433 | 1,895 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 6,488 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 864 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 1,774 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 245 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,305 | 1,119 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 782 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 1,460 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 83 | 8 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .359 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .499 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .851 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roberto Clemente leads Frank Howard 34,131 to 30,024 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,896 vs 1,766 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).
Roberto Clemente — top 3 seasons by OPS
Frank Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roberto Clemente leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Frank Howard owns home runs and OPS. 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
Roberto Clemente vs Frank Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Frank Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roberto Clemente leads Frank Howard in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Frank Howard hit more home runs?
- Frank Howard, with 382 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Frank Howard, with .851 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Frank Howard's 1,774.