Jason Bay vs Carlos Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Lee has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jason Bay played 2003–2013 as a hitter; Carlos Lee played 1999–2012 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
Jason Bay (2003–2013) and Carlos Lee (1999–2012) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jason Bay finished with 1,200 hits and 222 home runs; Carlos Lee finished with 2,273 hits and 358 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Lee, with 358 to Jason Bay's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jason Bay, with .841 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carlos Lee, with .285 to Jason Bay's .266.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Jason Bay's 1,200.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Jason Bay's 754.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Lee, with 13,870 career PIV to Jason Bay's 12,505.
Carlos Lee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jason Bay and Carlos Lee. 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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jason Bay | Carlos Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,278 | Leads: 2,099 |
| At-Bats | 4,505 | Leads: 7,983 |
| Runs | 737 | Leads: 1,125 |
| Hits | 1,200 | Leads: 2,273 |
| Doubles | 240 | Leads: 469 |
| Triples | Leads: 30 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 222 | Leads: 358 |
| RBI | 754 | Leads: 1,363 |
| Walks | 636 | Leads: 655 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,216 | 984 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 125 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .360 | .339 |
| Slugging % | .481 | Leads: .483 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Lee leads Jason Bay 13,870 to 12,505 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carlos Lee played 16 seasons to Jason Bay's 13, while Jason Bay carries the higher per-season figure (962 to 867). 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).
Jason Bay — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carlos Lee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Lee leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jason Bay owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Lee. PIV agrees: Carlos Lee grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jason Bay and Carlos Lee careers compare
From 2003 through 2012, Jason Bay and Carlos Lee were in the majors together. Carlos Lee has the far longer record, 2,099 games against 1,278 across 13 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Jason Bay are triples (30 to 19), on-base percentage (.360 to .339), and OPS (.841 to .821). At the plate, Jason Bay struck out more than walked (1,216 to 636), and Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655). On the bases, Jason Bay stole more often per game played (95 steals in 1,278 games for Jason Bay, 125 in 2,099 for Carlos Lee).
Jason Bay vs Carlos Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jason Bay or Carlos Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Lee leads Jason Bay in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jason Bay or Carlos Lee hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Jason Bay's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jason Bay, with .841 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carlos Lee, with .285 to Jason Bay's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Jason Bay's 1,200.