Harmon Killebrew vs Matt Olson: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew 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; Matt Olson has played 2016–present 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 Matt Olson (2016–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Matt Olson has 1,312 hits and 329 home runs through October 6, 2026. 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 Matt Olson's 329.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Matt Olson's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .256.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Matt Olson's 1,312.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Matt Olson's 901.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Matt Olson's 17,319.
Harmon Killebrew
Matt Olson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Matt Olson. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Matt Olson is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Matt Olson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,435 | 1,385 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,147 | 5,121 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,283 | 811 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,086 | 1,312 |
| Doubles | Leads: 290 | 284 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 7 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 329 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 901 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 677 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 1,409 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 19 | 13 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .256 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .347 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .507 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Matt Olson 48,240 to 17,319 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 1,732, across 22 seasons to 10. 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
Matt Olson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Olson owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew 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 Matt Olson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Harmon Killebrew's ended in 1975, and Matt Olson debuted in 2016. The table compares 2,435 games of Harmon Killebrew with 1,385 of Matt Olson across 22 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Matt Olson are batting average (.256 to .256). Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559); Matt Olson struck out more than walked (1,409 to 677). Harmon Killebrew's on-base percentage of .376 tops Matt Olson's .347. Best seasons: 1961 for Harmon Killebrew (1.012 OPS, 46 HR, 122 RBI, .288 avg) and 2023 for Matt Olson (.993 OPS, 54 HR, 139 RBI, .283 avg). Matt Olson's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Harmon Killebrew vs Matt Olson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Matt Olson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Matt Olson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Matt Olson hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Matt Olson's 329.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Matt Olson's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Matt Olson's 1,312.