Jimmie Foxx vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
Jimmie Foxx 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). Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 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
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 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 Jimmie Foxx's 534.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmie Foxx, with 1,922 to Harmon Killebrew's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Harmon Killebrew's 48,240.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Jimmie Foxx
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx 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 1920s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmie Foxx | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,317 | Leads: 2,435 |
| At-Bats | 8,134 | Leads: 8,147 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,751 | 1,283 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,646 | 2,086 |
| Doubles | Leads: 458 | 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 125 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 534 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,922 | 1,584 |
| Walks | 1,452 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,311 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 87 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .256 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .428 | .376 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .609 | .509 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.038 | .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Harmon Killebrew 72,872 to 48,240 — driven by per-season impact — 3,470 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Jimmie Foxx played 21 seasons to Harmon Killebrew's 22. 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).
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jimmie Foxx leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Harmon Killebrew owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jimmie Foxx. PIV agrees: Jimmie Foxx grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmie Foxx and Harmon Killebrew careers compare
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) was finished before Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,317 games against 2,435 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Harmon Killebrew comes out ahead, it is in games (2,435 to 2,317), at-bats (8,147 to 8,134), and home runs (573 to 534). At the plate, Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts), while Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 534 of 2,646 for Jimmie Foxx, 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew.
Jimmie Foxx vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jimmie Foxx leads Harmon Killebrew in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Jimmie Foxx's 534.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 2,646 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.