Harmon Killebrew vs Eddie Yost: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Eddie Yost played 1944–1962 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 Eddie Yost (1944–1962) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs; Eddie Yost finished with 1,863 hits and 139 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 Eddie Yost's 139.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Eddie Yost's .765.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harmon Killebrew, with .256 to Eddie Yost's .254.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Eddie Yost's 1,863.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Eddie Yost's 683.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Eddie Yost's 17,788.
Harmon Killebrew
Eddie Yost
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew and Eddie Yost. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Eddie Yost |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,435 | 2,109 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,147 | 7,346 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,283 | 1,215 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,086 | 1,863 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 337 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 56 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 573 | 139 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,584 | 683 |
| Walks | 1,559 | Leads: 1,614 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 920 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 72 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .256 | .254 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .371 |
| OPS | Leads: .884 | .765 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Eddie Yost 48,240 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 988, across 22 seasons to 18. 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
Eddie Yost — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Eddie Yost owns stolen bases and OBP. 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 Eddie Yost careers compare
Harmon Killebrew and Eddie Yost were active at the same time between 1954 and 1962. The two careers are close in length, 2,435 games for Harmon Killebrew and 2,109 for Eddie Yost across 22 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), while Eddie Yost walked more often than struck out (1,614 walks, 920 strikeouts). Harmon Killebrew is the more power-leaning hitter, with 573 of 2,086 hits leaving the park. Harmon Killebrew's slugging percentage of .509 tops Eddie Yost's .371.
Harmon Killebrew vs Eddie Yost: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Eddie Yost?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Eddie Yost in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Eddie Yost hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Eddie Yost's 139.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Eddie Yost's .765.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .256 to Eddie Yost's .254.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Eddie Yost's 1,863.