Lance Berkman vs Ryan Braun: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Berkman 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). Lance Berkman played 1999–2013 as a hitter; Ryan Braun 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
Lance Berkman (1999–2013) and Ryan Braun (2007–2020) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lance Berkman finished with 1,905 hits and 366 home runs; Ryan Braun finished with 1,963 hits and 352 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Lance Berkman, with 366 to Ryan Braun's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Ryan Braun's .891.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ryan Braun, with .296 to Lance Berkman's .293.
- Who had more hits? Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Berkman, with 1,234 to Ryan Braun's 1,154.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Ryan Braun's 27,762.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Ryan Braun's 0.
Lance Berkman
Ryan Braun
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Ryan Braun. 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 | Lance Berkman | Ryan Braun |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,766 |
| At-Bats | 6,491 | Leads: 6,622 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 1,080 |
| Hits | 1,905 | Leads: 1,963 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 408 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 366 | 352 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,234 | 1,154 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 586 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 1,363 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 216 |
| Batting Avg | .293 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .532 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .891 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Ryan Braun 38,575 to 27,762 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,411 PIV per season to 1,983, across 16 seasons to 14. 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).
Lance Berkman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ryan Braun — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Ryan Braun owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lance Berkman. PIV agrees: Lance Berkman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lance Berkman and Ryan Braun careers compare
From 2007 through 2013, Lance Berkman and Ryan Braun were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,879 games for Lance Berkman and 1,766 for Ryan Braun across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201); Ryan Braun struck out more than walked (1,363 to 586). Ryan Braun was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Lance Berkman holds the edge, .537 to .532. Best seasons: 2001 for Lance Berkman (1.051 OPS, 34 HR, 126 RBI, .331 avg) and 2007 for Ryan Braun (1.004 OPS, 34 HR, 97 RBI, .324 avg).
Lance Berkman vs Ryan Braun: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Ryan Braun?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Ryan Braun in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Ryan Braun hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Ryan Braun's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Ryan Braun's .891.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ryan Braun, with .296 to Lance Berkman's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.