Elston Howard vs Pee Wee Reese: Career Stats Comparison
Pee Wee Reese has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 home runs; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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 Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Elston Howard, with .748 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Elston Howard, with .274 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Pee Wee Reese, with 885 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pee Wee Reese, with 10,057 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Pee Wee Reese's 1.
Elston Howard
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Elston Howard | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 2,166 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 8,058 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 2,170 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 330 |
| Triples | 53 | Leads: 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 168 | 126 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 885 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .269 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .427 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .748 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pee Wee Reese outpaces Elston Howard 10,057 to 6,426 — driven by per-season impact — 629 PIV per season to 402 — rather than by longevity, since Pee Wee Reese played 16 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pee Wee Reese leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Elston Howard owns home runs, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pee Wee Reese. PIV agrees: Pee Wee Reese 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
Elston Howard and Pee Wee Reese were active at the same time between 1955 and 1958. The two careers are close in length, 1,625 games for Elston Howard and 2,166 for Pee Wee Reese across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Elston Howard are home runs (168 to 126), batting average (.274 to .269), and slugging percentage (.427 to .377). Plate discipline differs: Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), but Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts).
Elston Howard vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pee Wee Reese leads Elston Howard in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Elston Howard, with 168 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Elston Howard, with .748 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Elston Howard, with .274 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Pee Wee Reese, with 2,170 to Elston Howard's 1,491.