Freddie Freeman vs Ryan Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Freddie Freeman has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Freddie Freeman has played 2010–present 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
Freddie Freeman (2010–present) and Ryan Howard (2004–2016) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Freddie Freeman has 2,598 hits and 383 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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? Freddie Freeman, with 383 to Ryan Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Freddie Freeman, with .890 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Freddie Freeman, with .299 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Freddie Freeman, with 2,598 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Freddie Freeman, with 1,392 to Ryan Howard's 1,194.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Freddie Freeman, with 41,593 career PIV to Ryan Howard's 19,167.
- Who won more championships? Freddie Freeman, with 3 World Series titles to Ryan Howard's 1.
Freddie Freeman
Ryan Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Freddie Freeman 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, and the 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Freddie Freeman is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Freddie Freeman | Ryan Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,332 | 1,572 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,693 | 5,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,453 | 848 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,598 | 1,475 |
| Doubles | Leads: 579 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 34 | 21 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 383 | 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,392 | 1,194 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,136 | 709 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,879 | 1,843 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 111 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .299 | .258 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .505 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .890 | .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Freddie Freeman outpaces Ryan Howard 41,593 to 19,167 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,600 PIV per season to 1,474, across 16 seasons to 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).
Freddie Freeman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ryan Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Freddie Freeman leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ryan Howard owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Freddie Freeman. PIV agrees: Freddie Freeman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Freddie Freeman and Ryan Howard careers compare
From 2010 through 2016, Freddie Freeman and Ryan Howard were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,332 games for Freddie Freeman and 1,572 for Ryan Howard across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Ryan Howard are slugging percentage (.515 to .505). At the plate, Freddie Freeman struck out more than walked (1,879 to 1,136), and Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709). Ryan Howard is the more power-leaning hitter, with 382 of 1,475 hits leaving the park. Freddie Freeman was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Because Freddie Freeman is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Freddie Freeman vs Ryan Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Freddie Freeman or Ryan Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Freddie Freeman leads Ryan Howard in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Freddie Freeman or Ryan Howard hit more home runs?
- Freddie Freeman, with 383 to Ryan Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Freddie Freeman, with .890 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Freddie Freeman, with .299 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Freddie Freeman, with 2,598 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.