Jason Bay vs Justin Upton: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Upton 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; Justin Upton played 2007–2022 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 Justin Upton (2007–2022) — 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; Justin Upton finished with 1,754 hits and 325 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Justin Upton, with 325 to Jason Bay's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jason Bay, with .841 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jason Bay, with .266 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Justin Upton, with 1,754 to Jason Bay's 1,200.
- Who drove in more runs? Justin Upton, with 1,003 to Jason Bay's 754.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Justin Upton, with 15,786 career PIV to Jason Bay's 12,505.
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jason Bay and Justin Upton. 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 | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,278 | Leads: 1,845 |
| At-Bats | 4,505 | Leads: 6,721 |
| Runs | 737 | Leads: 1,058 |
| Hits | 1,200 | Leads: 1,754 |
| Doubles | 240 | Leads: 350 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 222 | Leads: 325 |
| RBI | 754 | Leads: 1,003 |
| Walks | 636 | Leads: 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,216 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 151 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .266 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .360 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .481 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .841 | .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Upton leads Jason Bay 15,786 to 12,505 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Upton played 17 seasons to Jason Bay's 13, while Jason Bay carries the higher per-season figure (962 to 929). 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
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Upton leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jason Bay owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Upton. PIV agrees: Justin Upton 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 Justin Upton careers compare
Jason Bay and Justin Upton were active at the same time between 2007 and 2013. The two careers are close in length, 1,278 games for Jason Bay and 1,845 for Justin Upton across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jason Bay's edges on the table are batting average (.266 to .261), on-base percentage (.360 to .342), and slugging percentage (.481 to .469). At the plate, Jason Bay struck out more than walked (1,216 to 636), and Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). Justin Upton was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Jason Bay vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jason Bay or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Upton leads Jason Bay in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jason Bay or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Justin Upton, with 325 to Jason Bay's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jason Bay, with .841 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jason Bay, with .266 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Justin Upton, with 1,754 to Jason Bay's 1,200.