Frank Howard vs Duke Snider: Career Stats Comparison
Duke Snider 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; Duke Snider played 1947–1964 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 Duke Snider (1947–1964) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Frank Howard finished with 1,774 hits and 382 home runs; Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Duke Snider, with 407 to Frank Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Duke Snider, with .919 to Frank Howard's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average? Duke Snider, with .295 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits? Duke Snider, with 2,116 to Frank Howard's 1,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Duke Snider, with 1,333 to Frank Howard's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Duke Snider, with 39,968 career PIV to Frank Howard's 30,024.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Frank Howard
Duke Snider
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Frank Howard and Duke Snider. 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 | Duke Snider |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,895 | Leads: 2,143 |
| At-Bats | 6,488 | Leads: 7,161 |
| Runs | 864 | Leads: 1,259 |
| Hits | 1,774 | Leads: 2,116 |
| Doubles | 245 | Leads: 358 |
| Triples | 35 | Leads: 85 |
| Home Runs | 382 | Leads: 407 |
| RBI | 1,119 | Leads: 1,333 |
| Walks | 782 | Leads: 971 |
| Strikeouts | 1,460 | 1,237 |
| Stolen Bases | 8 | Leads: 99 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .540 |
| OPS | .851 | Leads: .919 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duke Snider leads Frank Howard 39,968 to 30,024 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,220 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
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Duke Snider 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 Duke Snider. PIV agrees: Duke Snider grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Frank Howard vs Duke Snider: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Frank Howard or Duke Snider?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Duke Snider leads Frank Howard in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Frank Howard or Duke Snider hit more home runs?
- Duke Snider, with 407 to Frank Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Duke Snider, with .919 to Frank Howard's .851.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Duke Snider, with .295 to Frank Howard's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Duke Snider, with 2,116 to Frank Howard's 1,774.