Wilbur Howard
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1973-1978)
Wilbur Howard was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1978 for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros, a span of 6 seasons. In 466 career games, he hit .250 with 267 hits, 6 home runs, and 71 RBI.
- 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
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 170 lb
- Died
- 12/17/2022 in Houston, TX, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1973-09-04
- Last Game
- 1978-09-30
Full name: Wilbur Leon Howard
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 466 | 1,068 | 149 | 267 | 37 | 11 | 6 | 71 | 60 | 45 | 175 | .250 | .283 | .322 | .605 | -2,226 |
Career AVG .250 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .283 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 12.9% below league average.
Career SLG .322 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 14.7% below league average.
Career OPS .605 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — 13.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | ML4 | AL | 16 | 39 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | .205 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | HOU | NL | 64 | 111 | 19 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 18 | .216 | .256 (-16%) | .324 (-23%) | .369 (-17%) | .693 (-20%) | -354.8 |
| 1975 | HOU | NL | 121 | 392 | 62 | 111 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 32 | 21 | 67 | .283 | .257 (+10%) | .327 (-1%) | .374 (-2%) | .701 (-2%) | -174.3 |
| 1976 | HOU | NL | 94 | 191 | 26 | 42 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 28 | .220 | .255 (-14%) | .320 (-23%) | .360 (-19%) | .681 (-21%) | -663.3 |
| 1977 | HOU | NL | 87 | 187 | 22 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 30 | .257 | .264 (-3%) | .329 (-16%) | .401 (-20%) | .730 (-18%) | -553.5 |
| 1978 | HOU | NL | 84 | 148 | 17 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 22 | .230 | .257 (-11%) | .323 (-17%) | .378 (-23%) | .702 (-21%) | -480.3 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 466 | 1,068 | 149 | 267 | 37 | 11 | 6 | 71 | 60 | 45 | 175 | .250 | — | — | — | — | -2,226 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (466 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 230 | 527 | 75 | 136 | 3 | 33 | .258 |
| Away | 236 | 541 | 74 | 131 | 3 | 38 | .242 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-09-30 | HOU | SFG | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978-09-24 | HOU | SFG | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-24 | HOU | SFG | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978-09-23 | HOU | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-22 | HOU | SFG | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1978-09-19 | HOU | ATL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-17 | HOU | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-14 | HOU | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-11 | HOU | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978-09-10 | HOU | SDP | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| C | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 320 | 202 | 523 | 18 | 7 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | ML4 | OF | 12 | 9 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 | HOU | OF | 50 | 23 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1975 | HOU | OF | 95 | 81 | 194 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1976 | HOU | 2B | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1976 | HOU | OF | 63 | 35 | 96 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 1977 | HOU | 2B | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | HOU | OF | 62 | 33 | 100 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978 | HOU | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | HOU | C | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | HOU | OF | 38 | 21 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 3 |
| Second Base | 7 |
| Left Field | 212 |
| Center Field | 73 |
| Right Field | 51 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Wilbur Howard (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Wilbur Howard: the record in brief
Wilbur Howard played a first major league game on September 4, 1973 and a last one on September 30, 1978. The season rows list, in order, the Milwaukee Brewers (1973) and the Houston Astros (1974 to 1978). At 6'2" and 170 pounds, Howard is listed as an outfielder. Howard batted from both sides and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is January 8, 1949, in Lowell, NC, USA. Howard died on December 17, 2022, in Houston, TX, USA. Wilbur Howard was the playing name; the full given name is Wilbur Leon.
Howard collected 267 hits in 1,068 at bats across 466 games, good for a .250 batting average, plus 6 homers, 71 RBI, and 60 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .283 and the slugging percentage .322, for an OPS of .605. Howard hit .250 while the league hit .258 over the same span, a figure close to average. The OPS comparison is .605 to a league .702, 13.8% below average. The highest hit total in a season was 111, in 1975. Howard drove in a season-high 21 runs in 1975.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wilbur Howard
- What years did Wilbur Howard play?
- Wilbur Howard played in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1978.
- Was Wilbur Howard a pitcher?
- No. Wilbur Howard was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Wilbur Howard hit?
- Wilbur Howard hit 6 career home runs with 267 hits.
- What was Wilbur Howard's career batting average?
- Wilbur Howard batted .250 over his career, with 267 hits in 1,068 at bats.
- How many RBI did Wilbur Howard have?
- Wilbur Howard drove in 71 runs in his career.
- Is Wilbur Howard in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Wilbur Howard has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.