Frank Howard vs Tony Oliva: Career Stats Comparison
Frank Howard and Tony Oliva are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Frank Howard played 1958–1973 as a hitter; Tony Oliva played 1962–1976 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
Frank Howard (1958–1973) and Tony Oliva (1962–1976) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Frank Howard finished with 1,774 hits and 382 home runs; Tony Oliva finished with 1,917 hits and 220 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Frank Howard, with 382 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS? Frank Howard, with .851 to Tony Oliva's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Oliva, with .304 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits? Tony Oliva, with 1,917 to Frank Howard's 1,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Frank Howard, with 1,119 to Tony Oliva's 947.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Howard, with 30,024 career PIV to Tony Oliva's 23,924.
- Who won more championships? Frank Howard, with 2 World Series titles to Tony Oliva's 0.
Frank Howard
Tony Oliva
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frank Howard and Tony Oliva. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Frank Howard | Tony Oliva |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,895 | 1,676 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,488 | 6,301 |
| Runs | 864 | Leads: 870 |
| Hits | 1,774 | Leads: 1,917 |
| Doubles | 245 | Leads: 329 |
| Triples | 35 | Leads: 48 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 382 | 220 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,119 | 947 |
| Walks | Leads: 782 | 448 |
| Strikeouts | 1,460 | 645 |
| Stolen Bases | 8 | Leads: 86 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .304 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .476 |
| OPS | Leads: .851 | .830 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Howard leads Tony Oliva 30,024 to 23,924 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,766 vs 1,595 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Frank Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tony Oliva — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Oliva leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Frank Howard owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Oliva. Note that PIV actually grades Frank Howard ahead, which means Tony Oliva's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Frank Howard vs Tony Oliva: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Frank Howard or Tony Oliva hit more home runs?
- Frank Howard, with 382 to Tony Oliva's 220.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Frank Howard, with .851 to Tony Oliva's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Oliva, with .304 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Oliva, with 1,917 to Frank Howard's 1,774.