Elston Howard vs Tony Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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 Tony Perez (1964–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 home runs; Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tony Perez, with 379 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tony Perez, with .804 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Perez, with .279 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Perez, with 28,896 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Tony Perez's 2.
Elston Howard
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Tony Perez. 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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Elston Howard | Tony Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 2,777 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 9,778 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 2,732 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 505 |
| Triples | 53 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 168 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,652 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 925 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 1,867 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 49 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .341 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .463 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Perez outpaces Elston Howard 28,896 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,256 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
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Perez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Elston Howard owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Perez. PIV agrees: Tony Perez 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 Tony Perez careers compare
From 1964 through 1968, Elston Howard and Tony Perez were in the majors together. The table compares 1,625 games of Elston Howard with 2,777 of Tony Perez across 16 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Tony Perez. At the plate, Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), and Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925). In slugging percentage, Tony Perez holds the edge, .463 to .427. On the peak-season lists, Elston Howard's best year is 1961 at .936 OPS and Tony Perez's is 1970 at .990 OPS; Tony Perez has the stronger single season.
Elston Howard vs Tony Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Tony Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Tony Perez hit more home runs?
- Tony Perez, with 379 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tony Perez, with .804 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Perez, with .279 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Elston Howard's 1,491.