Elston Howard vs Buster Posey: Career Stats Comparison
Buster Posey has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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 Buster Posey (2009–2021) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 home runs; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Elston Howard, with 168 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Buster Posey, with .831 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Buster Posey, with 1,500 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Elston Howard, with 775 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Buster Posey, with 15,615 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Buster Posey's 3.
Elston Howard
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Buster Posey. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Elston Howard | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,625 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,443 | 4,970 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 663 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 1,500 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 53 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 168 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 775 | 729 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 23 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .460 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Buster Posey outpaces Elston Howard 15,615 to 6,426 — driven by per-season impact — 1,301 PIV per season to 402 — rather than by longevity, since Buster Posey played 12 seasons to Elston Howard's 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
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Buster Posey leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Elston Howard owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Buster Posey. PIV agrees: Buster Posey 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 Buster Posey careers compare
Elston Howard (1955–1968) was finished before Buster Posey (2009–2021) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,625 games for Elston Howard and 1,371 for Buster Posey across 16 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), and Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). In slugging percentage, Buster Posey holds the edge, .460 to .427. Buster Posey owns the better peak by OPS: .936 OPS in 1961 for Elston Howard against .957 OPS in 2012 for Buster Posey.
Elston Howard vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Buster Posey leads Elston Howard in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Elston Howard, with 168 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Buster Posey, with .831 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Buster Posey, with 1,500 to Elston Howard's 1,491.