Ryan Howard vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
Joey Votto has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ryan Howard played 2004–2016 as a hitter; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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
Ryan Howard (2004–2016) and Joey Votto (2007–2023) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ryan Howard finished with 1,475 hits and 382 home runs; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ryan Howard, with 382 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joey Votto, with .920 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joey Votto, with .294 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Ryan Howard, with 1,194 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joey Votto, with 43,852 career PIV to Ryan Howard's 19,167.
- Who won more championships? Ryan Howard, with 1 World Series title to Joey Votto's 0.
Ryan Howard
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Howard and Joey Votto. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ryan Howard | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,572 | Leads: 2,056 |
| At-Bats | 5,707 | Leads: 7,252 |
| Runs | 848 | Leads: 1,171 |
| Hits | 1,475 | Leads: 2,135 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 459 |
| Triples | 21 | Leads: 22 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 382 | 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,194 | 1,144 |
| Walks | 709 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,843 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | .258 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .515 | .511 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: .920 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joey Votto outpaces Ryan Howard 43,852 to 19,167 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,580 PIV per season to 1,474, across 17 seasons to 13. 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).
Ryan Howard — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joey Votto leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Ryan Howard owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joey Votto. PIV agrees: Joey Votto grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ryan Howard and Joey Votto careers compare
From 2007 through 2016, Ryan Howard and Joey Votto were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,572 games for Ryan Howard and 2,056 for Joey Votto across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Ryan Howard are home runs (382 to 356), RBI (1,194 to 1,144), and slugging percentage (.515 to .511). At the plate, Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709), and Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). Home runs make up a larger share of Ryan Howard's hits: 382 of 1,475 for Ryan Howard, 356 of 2,135 for Joey Votto.
Ryan Howard vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Howard or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joey Votto leads Ryan Howard in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Howard or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Ryan Howard, with 382 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joey Votto, with .920 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joey Votto, with .294 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.