Elston Howard vs Will Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Elston Howard 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; Will Smith has played 2019–present 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 Will Smith (2019–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Elston Howard finished with 1,491 hits and 168 home runs; Will Smith has 722 hits and 138 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Will Smith's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS? Will Smith, with .829 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Elston Howard, with .274 to Will Smith's .263.
- Who had more hits? Elston Howard, with 1,491 to Will Smith's 722.
- Who drove in more runs? Elston Howard, with 775 to Will Smith's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Will Smith, with 7,878 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Will Smith's 3.
Elston Howard
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Will Smith. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Will Smith is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Elston Howard | Will Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,625 | 795 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,443 | 2,743 |
| Runs | Leads: 635 | 448 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,491 | 722 |
| Doubles | Leads: 223 | 137 |
| Triples | Leads: 53 | 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 168 | 138 |
| RBI | Leads: 775 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 376 | 364 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 599 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Will Smith leads Elston Howard 7,878 to 6,426 — driven by per-season impact — 1,125 PIV per season to 402 — rather than by longevity, since Will Smith played 7 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
Will Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Elston Howard leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Will Smith owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Elston Howard. Note that PIV actually grades Will Smith ahead, which means Elston Howard's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Elston Howard and Will Smith careers compare
Elston Howard (1955–1968) was finished before Will Smith (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 1,625 games of Elston Howard with 795 of Will Smith across 16 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Will Smith comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (12 to 10), on-base percentage (.358 to .321), and slugging percentage (.471 to .427). At the plate, Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), and Will Smith struck out more than walked (599 to 364). Will Smith is the more power-leaning hitter, with 138 of 722 hits leaving the park. Will Smith's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Elston Howard vs Will Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Will Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Elston Howard leads Will Smith in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Will Smith hit more home runs?
- Elston Howard, with 168 to Will Smith's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Will Smith, with .829 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Elston Howard, with .274 to Will Smith's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Elston Howard, with 1,491 to Will Smith's 722.