Carlos Beltran vs Lance Berkman: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Beltran has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Carlos Beltran played 1998–2017 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
Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Lance Berkman (1999–2013) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlos Beltran finished with 2,725 hits and 435 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? Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Beltran, with 1,587 to Lance Berkman's 1,234.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Carlos Beltran's 23,622.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Carlos Beltran
Lance Berkman
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Beltran 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 | Carlos Beltran | Lance Berkman |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,586 | 1,879 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,768 | 6,491 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,582 | 1,146 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,725 | 1,905 |
| Doubles | Leads: 565 | 422 |
| Triples | Leads: 78 | 30 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 435 | 366 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,587 | 1,234 |
| Walks | 1,084 | Leads: 1,201 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,795 | 1,300 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 312 | 86 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .293 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .406 |
| Slugging % | .486 | Leads: .537 |
| OPS | .837 | Leads: .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Carlos Beltran 38,575 to 23,622 — driven by per-season impact — 2,411 PIV per season to 1,027 — rather than by longevity, since Lance Berkman played 16 seasons to Carlos Beltran's 23. 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).
Carlos Beltran — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lance Berkman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Beltran leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lance Berkman owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Beltran. Note that PIV actually grades Lance Berkman ahead, which means Carlos Beltran's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman careers compare
The careers of Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Lance Berkman (1999–2013) overlapped from 1999 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,586 games for Carlos Beltran and 1,879 for Lance Berkman across 23 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Carlos Beltran struck out more than walked (1,795 to 1,084), and Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201). On the bases, Carlos Beltran stole more often per game played (312 steals in 2,586 games for Carlos Beltran, 86 in 1,879 for Lance Berkman). Lance Berkman's on-base percentage of .406 tops Carlos Beltran's .350.
Carlos Beltran vs Lance Berkman: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Beltran or Lance Berkman?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Beltran leads Lance Berkman in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Beltran or Lance Berkman hit more home runs?
- Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.