Jose Bautista vs Josh Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Jose Bautista has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jose Bautista played 2004–2018 as a hitter; Josh Hamilton played 2007–2015 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
Jose Bautista (2004–2018) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jose Bautista finished with 1,496 hits and 344 home runs; Josh Hamilton finished with 1,134 hits and 200 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jose Bautista, with 344 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Jose Bautista's .836.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Jose Bautista's .247.
- Who had more hits? Jose Bautista, with 1,496 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Jose Bautista, with 975 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jose Bautista, with 20,890 career PIV to Josh Hamilton's 13,689.
Jose Bautista
Josh Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jose Bautista and Josh Hamilton. 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 | Jose Bautista | Josh Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,798 | 1,027 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,051 | 3,909 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,022 | 609 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,496 | 1,134 |
| Doubles | Leads: 312 | 234 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 344 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 975 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,032 | 352 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,394 | 938 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 70 | 50 |
| Batting Avg | .247 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .361 | .349 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .516 |
| OPS | .836 | Leads: .865 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jose Bautista outpaces Josh Hamilton 20,890 to 13,689 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jose Bautista played 21 seasons to Josh Hamilton's 9, while Josh Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (1,521 to 995). 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).
Jose Bautista — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jose Bautista leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Hamilton owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jose Bautista. PIV agrees: Jose Bautista grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jose Bautista and Josh Hamilton careers compare
Jose Bautista and Josh Hamilton were active at the same time between 2007 and 2015. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jose Bautista appeared in 1,798 games to Josh Hamilton's 1,027. Where Josh Hamilton comes out ahead, it is in triples (24 to 17), batting average (.290 to .247), and slugging percentage (.516 to .475). At the plate, Jose Bautista struck out more than walked (1,394 to 1,032), and Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352). Home runs make up a larger share of Jose Bautista's hits: 344 of 1,496 for Jose Bautista, 200 of 1,134 for Josh Hamilton.
Jose Bautista vs Josh Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jose Bautista or Josh Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jose Bautista leads Josh Hamilton in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jose Bautista or Josh Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Jose Bautista, with 344 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Jose Bautista's .836.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Jose Bautista's .247.
- Who had more hits?
- Jose Bautista, with 1,496 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.