Harmon Killebrew vs Ted Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew and Ted Simmons are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 as a hitter; Ted Simmons played 1968–1988 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 Ted Simmons (1968–1988) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Ted Simmons finished with 2,472 hits and 248 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 Ted Simmons's 248.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Ted Simmons's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Simmons, with .285 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Ted Simmons's 1,389.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Ted Simmons's 20,131.
Harmon Killebrew
Ted Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Ted Simmons. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Ted Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,435 | Leads: 2,456 |
| At-Bats | 8,147 | Leads: 8,680 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,283 | 1,074 |
| Hits | 2,086 | Leads: 2,472 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 483 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 47 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 248 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 1,389 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 855 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 694 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 21 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .348 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .437 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .785 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Ted Simmons 48,240 to 20,131 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 959, across 22 seasons to 21. 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
Ted Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Ted Simmons owns hits, stolen bases, and 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 Ted Simmons careers compare
From 1968 through 1975, Harmon Killebrew and Ted Simmons were in the majors together. With 2,435 games against 2,456 across 22 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), but Ted Simmons walked more often than struck out (855 walks, 694 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew, 248 of 2,472 for Ted Simmons. Harmon Killebrew's on-base percentage of .376 tops Ted Simmons's .348. Harmon Killebrew owns the better peak by OPS: 1.012 OPS in 1961 for Harmon Killebrew against .908 OPS in 1977 for Ted Simmons.
Harmon Killebrew vs Ted Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Ted Simmons hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Ted Simmons's 248.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Ted Simmons's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Simmons, with .285 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.