Prince Fielder vs Ryan Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Prince Fielder 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). Prince Fielder played 2005–2016 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
Prince Fielder (2005–2016) and Ryan Howard (2004–2016) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Prince Fielder finished with 1,645 hits and 319 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 Prince Fielder's 319.
- Who had the higher OPS? Prince Fielder, with .887 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Prince Fielder, with .283 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Prince Fielder, with 1,645 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Ryan Howard, with 1,194 to Prince Fielder's 1,028.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Prince Fielder, with 27,707 career PIV to Ryan Howard's 19,167.
- Who won more championships? Ryan Howard, with 1 World Series title to Prince Fielder's 0.
Prince Fielder
Ryan Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Prince Fielder 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Prince Fielder | Ryan Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,611 | 1,572 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,821 | 5,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 862 | 848 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,645 | 1,475 |
| Doubles | Leads: 321 | 277 |
| Triples | 10 | Leads: 21 |
| Home Runs | 319 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | 1,028 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Walks | Leads: 847 | 709 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,155 | 1,843 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 18 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .258 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .506 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .887 | .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Prince Fielder outpaces Ryan Howard 27,707 to 19,167 — driven by per-season impact — 2,309 PIV per season to 1,474 — rather than by longevity, since Prince Fielder played 12 seasons to Ryan Howard's 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).
Prince Fielder — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ryan Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Prince Fielder leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Ryan Howard owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Prince Fielder. PIV agrees: Prince Fielder grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard careers compare
The careers of Prince Fielder (2005–2016) and Ryan Howard (2004–2016) overlapped from 2005 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,611 games for Prince Fielder and 1,572 for Ryan Howard across 12 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ryan Howard comes out ahead, it is in triples (21 to 10), home runs (382 to 319), and RBI (1,194 to 1,028). At the plate, Prince Fielder struck out more than walked (1,155 to 847), and Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709).
Prince Fielder vs Ryan Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Prince Fielder or Ryan Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Prince Fielder leads Ryan Howard in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Prince Fielder or Ryan Howard hit more home runs?
- Ryan Howard, with 382 to Prince Fielder's 319.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Prince Fielder, with .887 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Prince Fielder, with .283 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Prince Fielder, with 1,645 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.