Jeff Bagwell vs Lance Berkman: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Bagwell has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jeff Bagwell played 1991–2005 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
Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Lance Berkman (1999–2013) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jeff Bagwell finished with 2,314 hits and 449 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? Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Lance Berkman's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jeff Bagwell, with .297 to Lance Berkman's .293.
- Who had more hits? Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.
- Who drove in more runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 1,529 to Lance Berkman's 1,234.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jeff Bagwell, with 47,120 career PIV to Lance Berkman's 38,575.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Jeff Bagwell's 0.
Jeff Bagwell
Lance Berkman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman. 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 | Jeff Bagwell | Lance Berkman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,150 | 1,879 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,797 | 6,491 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,517 | 1,146 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,314 | 1,905 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 422 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 30 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 449 | 366 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,529 | 1,234 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,401 | 1,201 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,558 | 1,300 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 202 | 86 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .293 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .408 | .406 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .540 | .537 |
| OPS | Leads: .948 | .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Bagwell leads Lance Berkman 47,120 to 38,575 — driven by per-season impact — 3,141 PIV per season to 2,411 — rather than by longevity, since Jeff Bagwell played 15 seasons to Lance Berkman's 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).
Jeff Bagwell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Berkman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Bagwell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Berkman owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Bagwell. PIV agrees: Jeff Bagwell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman careers compare
The careers of Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Lance Berkman (1999–2013) overlapped from 1999 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,150 games for Jeff Bagwell and 1,879 for Lance Berkman across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jeff Bagwell leads every scored row of the table. Jeff Bagwell struck out more than walked (1,558 to 1,401); Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201). Jeff Bagwell was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Jeff Bagwell holds the edge, .408 to .406.
Jeff Bagwell vs Lance Berkman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Bagwell or Lance Berkman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Bagwell leads Lance Berkman in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jeff Bagwell or Lance Berkman hit more home runs?
- Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Lance Berkman's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .297 to Lance Berkman's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.