Harmon Killebrew vs Carlos Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Carlos Santana has played 2010–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 Carlos Santana (2010–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; Carlos Santana has 1,882 hits and 335 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 Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harmon Killebrew, with .256 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Carlos Santana's 1,136.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Carlos Santana's 15,027.
Harmon Killebrew
Carlos Santana
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Carlos Santana. 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.
Carlos Santana is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Carlos Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,435 | 2,212 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,147 | 7,839 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,283 | 1,108 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,086 | 1,882 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 405 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 17 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,136 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 1,332 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 1,548 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .256 | .240 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .424 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Carlos Santana 48,240 to 15,027 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 791, across 22 seasons to 19. 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
Carlos Santana — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Santana owns stolen bases. 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 Carlos Santana careers compare
No season is shared: Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975, Carlos Santana 2010–present. The two careers are close in length, 2,435 games for Harmon Killebrew and 2,212 for Carlos Santana across 22 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Carlos Santana comes out ahead, it is in doubles (405 to 290) and stolen bases (65 to 19). Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559); Carlos Santana struck out more than walked (1,548 to 1,332). Harmon Killebrew is the more power-leaning hitter, with 573 of 2,086 hits leaving the park. Carlos Santana's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Harmon Killebrew vs Carlos Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Carlos Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Carlos Santana in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Carlos Santana hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .256 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.