Carlos Beltran vs Josh Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Beltran 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). Carlos Beltran played 1998–2017 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
Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Carlos Beltran finished with 2,725 hits and 435 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? Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Beltran, with 1,587 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Beltran, with 23,622 career PIV to Josh Hamilton's 13,689.
- Who won more championships? Carlos Beltran, with 1 World Series title to Josh Hamilton's 0.
Carlos Beltran
Josh Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Beltran 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, and the 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carlos Beltran | Josh Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,586 | 1,027 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,768 | 3,909 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,582 | 609 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,725 | 1,134 |
| Doubles | Leads: 565 | 234 |
| Triples | Leads: 78 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 435 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,587 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,084 | 352 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,795 | 938 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 312 | 50 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .350 | .349 |
| Slugging % | .486 | Leads: .516 |
| OPS | .837 | Leads: .865 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Beltran outpaces Josh Hamilton 23,622 to 13,689 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carlos Beltran played 23 seasons to Josh Hamilton's 9, while Josh Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (1,521 to 1,027). 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
Josh Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Beltran 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 Carlos Beltran. PIV agrees: Carlos Beltran grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Beltran and Josh Hamilton careers compare
From 2007 through 2015, Carlos Beltran and Josh Hamilton were in the majors together. The table compares 2,586 games of Carlos Beltran with 1,027 of Josh Hamilton across 23 and 9 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Josh Hamilton are batting average (.290 to .279), slugging percentage (.516 to .486), and OPS (.865 to .837). At the plate, Carlos Beltran struck out more than walked (1,795 to 1,084), and Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352). On the bases, Carlos Beltran stole more often per game played (312 steals in 2,586 games for Carlos Beltran, 50 in 1,027 for Josh Hamilton).
Carlos Beltran vs Josh Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Beltran or Josh Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Beltran leads Josh Hamilton in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Beltran or Josh Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.