Elston Howard vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey 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; Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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 Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — 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; Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Elston Howard, with .274 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Willie McCovey's 0.
Elston Howard
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Willie McCovey. 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 | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 2,588 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 8,197 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,229 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 2,211 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 353 |
| Triples | Leads: 53 | 46 |
| Home Runs | 168 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,555 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .270 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Elston Howard 47,331 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 402, across 23 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
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey 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 Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey 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 Willie McCovey careers compare
From 1959 through 1968, Elston Howard and Willie McCovey were in the majors together. Willie McCovey has the far longer record, 2,588 games against 1,625 across 16 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Elston Howard's edges on the table are triples (53 to 46) and batting average (.274 to .270). At the plate, Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), and Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie McCovey's hits: 168 of 1,491 for Elston Howard, 521 of 2,211 for Willie McCovey. Willie McCovey's slugging percentage of .515 tops Elston Howard's .427.
Elston Howard vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Elston Howard in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Elston Howard, with .274 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Elston Howard's 1,491.