Elston Howard vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Elston Howard played 1955–1968 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
Elston Howard (1955–1968) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 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 Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Elston Howard, with .274 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Elston Howard
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Elston Howard | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 2,435 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 8,147 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,283 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 53 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 168 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,584 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Elston Howard 48,240 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 402, across 22 seasons to 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).
Elston Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Elston Howard owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Elston Howard and Harmon Killebrew careers compare
Elston Howard and Harmon Killebrew were active at the same time between 1955 and 1968. The two careers are close in length, 1,625 games for Elston Howard and 2,435 for Harmon Killebrew across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Elston Howard comes out ahead, it is in triples (53 to 24) and batting average (.274 to .256). Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376); Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 168 of 1,491 for Elston Howard, 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew.
Elston Howard vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Elston Howard in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Elston Howard, with .274 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Elston Howard's 1,491.