Elston Howard vs Jackie Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Jackie Robinson 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; Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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 Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) — 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; Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 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 Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Elston Howard, with 775 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jackie Robinson, with 25,382 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Jackie Robinson's 1.
Elston Howard
Jackie Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Jackie Robinson. 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 | Jackie Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,625 | 1,418 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,443 | 5,006 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 974 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 1,568 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 287 |
| Triples | 53 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 168 | 141 |
| RBI | Leads: 775 | 764 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 756 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 291 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 203 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .887 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jackie Robinson outpaces Elston Howard 25,382 to 6,426 — driven by per-season impact — 2,307 PIV per season to 402 — rather than by longevity, since Jackie Robinson played 11 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
Jackie Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson. PIV agrees: Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson careers compare
The careers of Elston Howard (1955–1968) and Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) overlapped from 1955 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,625 games for Elston Howard and 1,418 for Jackie Robinson across 16 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Elston Howard's edges on the table are games (1,625 to 1,418), at-bats (5,443 to 5,006), and home runs (168 to 141). At the plate, Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), while Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts).
Elston Howard vs Jackie Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Jackie Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jackie Robinson leads Elston Howard in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Jackie Robinson hit more home runs?
- Elston Howard, with 168 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jackie Robinson, with .887 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jackie Robinson, with .313 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Jackie Robinson, with 1,568 to Elston Howard's 1,491.