Harmon Killebrew vs Bill Skowron: 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; Bill Skowron played 1954–1967 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 Bill Skowron (1954–1967) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Bill Skowron finished with 1,566 hits and 211 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 Bill Skowron's 211.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Bill Skowron's .792.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bill Skowron, with .282 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Bill Skowron's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Bill Skowron's 888.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Bill Skowron's 11,604.
- Who won more championships? Bill Skowron, with 5 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Harmon Killebrew
Bill Skowron
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Bill Skowron. 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 | Harmon Killebrew | Bill Skowron |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,435 | 1,658 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,147 | 5,547 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,283 | 681 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,086 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 290 | 243 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 211 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 888 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 383 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 870 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 19 | 16 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .332 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .792 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Bill Skowron 48,240 to 11,604 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 725, across 22 seasons to 16. 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
Bill Skowron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Skowron 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 Bill Skowron careers compare
From 1954 through 1967, Harmon Killebrew and Bill Skowron were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,435 games for Harmon Killebrew and 1,658 for Bill Skowron across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bill Skowron comes out ahead, it is in triples (53 to 24) and batting average (.282 to .256). Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559); Bill Skowron struck out more than walked (870 to 383). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew, 211 of 1,566 for Bill Skowron.
Harmon Killebrew vs Bill Skowron: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Bill Skowron?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Bill Skowron in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Bill Skowron hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Bill Skowron's 211.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Bill Skowron's .792.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bill Skowron, with .282 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Bill Skowron's 1,566.