Paul Goldschmidt vs Ryan Howard: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Goldschmidt 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). Paul Goldschmidt has played 2011–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
Paul Goldschmidt (2011–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. Paul Goldschmidt has 2,277 hits and 390 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? Paul Goldschmidt, with 390 to Ryan Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul Goldschmidt, with .877 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Goldschmidt, with .286 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Paul Goldschmidt, with 2,277 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Paul Goldschmidt, with 1,284 to Ryan Howard's 1,194.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Paul Goldschmidt, with 35,401 career PIV to Ryan Howard's 19,167.
- Who won more championships? Ryan Howard, with 1 World Series title to Paul Goldschmidt's 0.
Paul Goldschmidt
Ryan Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Goldschmidt 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.
Paul Goldschmidt is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Goldschmidt | Ryan Howard |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,179 | 1,572 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,953 | 5,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,324 | 848 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,277 | 1,475 |
| Doubles | Leads: 490 | 277 |
| Triples | Leads: 25 | 21 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 390 | 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,284 | 1,194 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,115 | 709 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,065 | 1,843 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 175 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .286 | .258 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .375 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .501 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .877 | .859 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Goldschmidt outpaces Ryan Howard 35,401 to 19,167 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,360 PIV per season to 1,474, across 15 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).
Paul Goldschmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ryan Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Goldschmidt 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 Paul Goldschmidt. PIV agrees: Paul Goldschmidt grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Goldschmidt and Ryan Howard careers compare
Paul Goldschmidt and Ryan Howard were active at the same time between 2011 and 2016. With 2,179 games against 1,572 across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ryan Howard's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.515 to .501). At the plate, Paul Goldschmidt struck out more than walked (2,065 to 1,115), and Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709). Home runs make up a larger share of Ryan Howard's hits: 390 of 2,277 for Paul Goldschmidt, 382 of 1,475 for Ryan Howard. Paul Goldschmidt was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Paul Goldschmidt's on-base percentage of .375 tops Ryan Howard's .343. Because Paul Goldschmidt is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Paul Goldschmidt vs Ryan Howard: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Goldschmidt or Ryan Howard?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Goldschmidt leads Ryan Howard in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Paul Goldschmidt or Ryan Howard hit more home runs?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with 390 to Ryan Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with .877 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with .286 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with 2,277 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.