Bob Elliott vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo 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). Bob Elliott played 1939–1953 as a hitter; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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
Bob Elliott (1939–1953) and Ron Santo (1960–1974) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bob Elliott finished with 2,061 hits and 170 home runs; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ron Santo, with 342 to Bob Elliott's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ron Santo, with .826 to Bob Elliott's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bob Elliott, with .289 to Ron Santo's .277.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Bob Elliott's 2,061.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Bob Elliott's 1,195.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Bob Elliott's 22,824.
Bob Elliott
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bob Elliott and Ron Santo. 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 1930s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Elliott | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,978 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 7,141 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 1,064 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 2,061 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | Leads: 382 | 365 |
| Triples | Leads: 94 | 67 |
| Home Runs | 170 | Leads: 342 |
| RBI | 1,195 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 967 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 604 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 60 | 35 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .277 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .375 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .440 | Leads: .464 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Bob Elliott 33,743 to 22,824 — driven by per-season impact — 2,250 PIV per season to 1,427 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Santo played 15 seasons to Bob Elliott's 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).
Bob Elliott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bob Elliott owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Elliott and Ron Santo careers compare
Bob Elliott (1939–1953) was finished before Ron Santo (1960–1974) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,978 games for Bob Elliott and 2,243 for Ron Santo across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Bob Elliott walked more often than struck out (967 walks, 604 strikeouts), while Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). Home runs make up a larger share of Ron Santo's hits: 170 of 2,061 for Bob Elliott, 342 of 2,254 for Ron Santo. Bob Elliott's on-base percentage of .375 tops Ron Santo's .362.
Bob Elliott vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Elliott or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Bob Elliott in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bob Elliott or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Ron Santo, with 342 to Bob Elliott's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ron Santo, with .826 to Bob Elliott's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bob Elliott, with .289 to Ron Santo's .277.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Bob Elliott's 2,061.