Elston Howard vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — 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; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Elston Howard's 1,491.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Elston Howard's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Elston Howard's 6,426.
- Who won more championships? Elston Howard, with 4 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Elston Howard
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Elston Howard and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,625 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 5,443 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 635 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 1,491 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 223 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 53 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 168 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 376 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 786 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 10 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .321 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .462 |
| OPS | .748 | Leads: .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Elston Howard 54,310 to 6,426 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 402, across 23 seasons to 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
From 1961 through 1968, Elston Howard and Carl Yastrzemski were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Elston Howard appeared in 1,625 games to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,308. Carl Yastrzemski leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Elston Howard struck out more than walked (786 to 376), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). On the bases, Carl Yastrzemski stole more often per game played (10 steals in 1,625 games for Elston Howard, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski). Carl Yastrzemski's slugging percentage of .462 tops Elston Howard's .427.
Elston Howard vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Elston Howard or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Elston Howard in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Elston Howard or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Elston Howard's 168.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .841 to Elston Howard's .748.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Elston Howard's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Elston Howard's 1,491.