Harmon Killebrew vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome 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; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Harmon Killebrew's 573.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Thome, with .276 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Harmon Killebrew's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Harmon Killebrew's 48,240.
Harmon Killebrew
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Jim Thome. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,435 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 8,147 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,283 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 2,086 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | 573 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 1,584 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 1,559 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .276 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome edges Harmon Killebrew 51,664 to 48,240 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Thome played 25 seasons to Harmon Killebrew's 22, while Harmon Killebrew carries the higher per-season figure (2,193 to 2,067). 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Harmon Killebrew owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome careers compare
Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) was finished before Jim Thome (1991–2012) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,435 games against 2,543 across 22 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Jim Thome. At the plate, Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), and Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Jim Thome's slugging percentage of .554 tops Harmon Killebrew's .509. On the peak-season lists, Harmon Killebrew's best year is 1961 at 1.012 OPS and Jim Thome's is 2002 at 1.122 OPS; Jim Thome has the stronger single season.
Harmon Killebrew vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Harmon Killebrew in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Harmon Killebrew's 573.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Thome, with .276 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.