Elston Howard vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo 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; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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 Ron Santo (1960–1974) — 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; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ron Santo, with 342 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ron Santo, with .826 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ron Santo, with .277 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Ron Santo's 0.
Elston Howard
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Ron Santo. 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 | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 365 |
| Triples | 53 | Leads: 67 |
| Home Runs | 168 | Leads: 342 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 35 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .464 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Elston Howard 33,743 to 6,426 — driven by per-season impact — 2,250 PIV per season to 402 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Santo played 15 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
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo 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 Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo 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 Ron Santo careers compare
Elston Howard and Ron Santo were active at the same time between 1960 and 1968. With 1,625 games against 2,243 across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ron Santo leads every scored row of the table. Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376); Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). Home runs make up a larger share of Ron Santo's hits: 168 of 1,491 for Elston Howard, 342 of 2,254 for Ron Santo. Ron Santo's slugging percentage of .464 tops Elston Howard's .427.
Elston Howard vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Ron Santo, with 342 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ron Santo, with .826 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ron Santo, with .277 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Elston Howard's 1,491.