Bobby Abreu vs Lance Berkman: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Abreu has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Bobby Abreu played 1996–2014 as a hitter; Lance Berkman played 1999–2013 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
Bobby Abreu (1996–2014) and Lance Berkman (1999–2013) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bobby Abreu finished with 2,470 hits and 288 home runs; Lance Berkman finished with 1,905 hits and 366 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lance Berkman, with 366 to Bobby Abreu's 288.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Bobby Abreu's .870.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Bobby Abreu's .291.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Abreu, with 2,470 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Abreu, with 1,363 to Lance Berkman's 1,234.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Bobby Abreu's 32,162.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Bobby Abreu's 0.
Bobby Abreu
Lance Berkman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Abreu and Lance Berkman. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Abreu | Lance Berkman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,425 | 1,879 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,480 | 6,491 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,453 | 1,146 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,470 | 1,905 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 422 |
| Triples | Leads: 59 | 30 |
| Home Runs | 288 | Leads: 366 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,363 | 1,234 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,476 | 1,201 |
| Strikeouts | 1,840 | 1,300 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 400 | 86 |
| Batting Avg | .291 | Leads: .293 |
| On-Base % | .395 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .537 |
| OPS | .870 | Leads: .943 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman leads Bobby Abreu 38,575 to 32,162 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,411 vs 1,608 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Bobby Abreu — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Berkman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Bobby Abreu owns hits, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lance Berkman. PIV agrees: Lance Berkman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Bobby Abreu vs Lance Berkman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Abreu or Lance Berkman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Abreu leads Lance Berkman in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Bobby Abreu or Lance Berkman hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Bobby Abreu's 288.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Bobby Abreu's .870.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Bobby Abreu's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Abreu, with 2,470 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.