Frank Howard vs Frank Robinson: Career Stats Comparison
Frank Robinson has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Frank Howard played 1958–1973 as a hitter; Frank Robinson played 1956–1976 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 Frank Robinson (1956–1976) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Frank Howard finished with 1,774 hits and 382 home runs; Frank Robinson finished with 2,943 hits and 586 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Frank Robinson, with 586 to Frank Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Frank Robinson, with .926 to Frank Howard's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average? Frank Robinson, with .294 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits? Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Frank Howard's 1,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Frank Robinson, with 1,812 to Frank Howard's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Frank Robinson, with 67,113 career PIV to Frank Howard's 30,024.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Frank Howard
Frank Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frank Howard and Frank Robinson. 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 | Frank Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,895 | Leads: 2,808 |
| At-Bats | 6,488 | Leads: 10,006 |
| Runs | 864 | Leads: 1,829 |
| Hits | 1,774 | Leads: 2,943 |
| Doubles | 245 | Leads: 528 |
| Triples | 35 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 382 | Leads: 586 |
| RBI | 1,119 | Leads: 1,812 |
| Walks | 782 | Leads: 1,420 |
| Strikeouts | 1,460 | 1,532 |
| Stolen Bases | 8 | Leads: 204 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .389 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .537 |
| OPS | .851 | Leads: .926 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Frank Robinson outpaces Frank Howard 67,113 to 30,024 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,051 vs 1,766 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
Frank Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Frank Robinson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Frank Howard owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Frank Robinson. PIV agrees: Frank Robinson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Frank Howard vs Frank Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Frank Howard or Frank Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Frank Robinson leads Frank Howard in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Frank Howard or Frank Robinson hit more home runs?
- Frank Robinson, with 586 to Frank Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Frank Robinson, with .926 to Frank Howard's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Frank Robinson, with .294 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Frank Robinson, with 2,943 to Frank Howard's 1,774.