Jason Bay vs Hunter Pence: Career Stats Comparison
Hunter Pence 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). Jason Bay played 2003–2013 as a hitter; Hunter Pence played 2007–2020 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 Hunter Pence (2007–2020) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jason Bay finished with 1,200 hits and 222 home runs; Hunter Pence finished with 1,791 hits and 244 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hunter Pence, with 244 to Jason Bay's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jason Bay, with .841 to Hunter Pence's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hunter Pence, with .279 to Jason Bay's .266.
- Who had more hits? Hunter Pence, with 1,791 to Jason Bay's 1,200.
- Who drove in more runs? Hunter Pence, with 942 to Jason Bay's 754.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jason Bay, with 12,505 career PIV to Hunter Pence's 10,190.
- Who won more championships? Hunter Pence, with 2 World Series titles to Jason Bay's 0.
Hunter Pence
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jason Bay and Hunter Pence. 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 | Jason Bay | Hunter Pence |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,278 | Leads: 1,707 |
| At-Bats | 4,505 | Leads: 6,420 |
| Runs | 737 | Leads: 891 |
| Hits | 1,200 | Leads: 1,791 |
| Doubles | 240 | Leads: 324 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 222 | Leads: 244 |
| RBI | 754 | Leads: 942 |
| Walks | Leads: 636 | 520 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,216 | 1,335 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 120 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .360 | .334 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .481 | .461 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jason Bay leads Hunter Pence 12,505 to 10,190 — driven by per-season impact — 962 PIV per season to 637 — rather than by longevity, since Jason Bay played 13 seasons to Hunter Pence'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).
Jason Bay — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hunter Pence — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hunter Pence 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 Hunter Pence. Note that PIV actually grades Jason Bay ahead, which means Hunter Pence's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jason Bay and Hunter Pence careers compare
The careers of Jason Bay (2003–2013) and Hunter Pence (2007–2020) overlapped from 2007 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,278 games against 1,707 across 13 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Jason Bay are walks (636 to 520), on-base percentage (.360 to .334), and slugging percentage (.481 to .461). Jason Bay struck out more than walked (1,216 to 636); Hunter Pence struck out more than walked (1,335 to 520). Jason Bay is the more power-leaning hitter, with 222 of 1,200 hits leaving the park. Jason Bay was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Jason Bay vs Hunter Pence: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jason Bay or Hunter Pence?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hunter Pence leads Jason Bay in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jason Bay or Hunter Pence hit more home runs?
- Hunter Pence, with 244 to Jason Bay's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jason Bay, with .841 to Hunter Pence's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hunter Pence, with .279 to Jason Bay's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Hunter Pence, with 1,791 to Jason Bay's 1,200.