Harmon Killebrew vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 as a hitter; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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
Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) and Stan Musial (1941–1963) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Harmon Killebrew's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Harmon Killebrew's 48,240.
- Who won more championships? Stan Musial, with 3 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Harmon Killebrew
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Stan Musial. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,435 | Leads: 3,026 |
| At-Bats | 8,147 | Leads: 10,972 |
| Runs | 1,283 | Leads: 1,949 |
| Hits | 2,086 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 475 |
| RBI | 1,584 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | 1,559 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 78 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Harmon Killebrew 83,624 to 48,240 — driven by per-season impact — 3,801 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Stan Musial played 22 seasons to Harmon Killebrew's 22. 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).
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Harmon Killebrew owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harmon Killebrew and Stan Musial careers compare
Harmon Killebrew and Stan Musial were active at the same time between 1954 and 1963. With 2,435 games against 3,026 across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Harmon Killebrew are home runs (573 to 475). At the plate, Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), while Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). Harmon Killebrew is the more power-leaning hitter, with 573 of 2,086 hits leaving the park. On the peak-season lists, Harmon Killebrew's best year is 1961 at 1.012 OPS and Stan Musial's is 1948 at 1.152 OPS; Stan Musial has the stronger single season.
Harmon Killebrew vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Harmon Killebrew in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.