Lance Berkman vs Jose Canseco: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Berkman has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Jose Canseco played 1985–2001 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 Jose Canseco (1985–2001) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lance Berkman finished with 1,905 hits and 366 home runs; Jose Canseco finished with 1,877 hits and 462 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jose Canseco, with 462 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Jose Canseco's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Jose Canseco's .266.
- Who had more hits? Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Jose Canseco's 1,877.
- Who drove in more runs? Jose Canseco, with 1,407 to Lance Berkman's 1,234.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Jose Canseco's 24,754.
- Who won more championships? Jose Canseco, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Berkman's 1.
Lance Berkman
Jose Canseco
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Jose Canseco. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lance Berkman | Jose Canseco |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,879 | Leads: 1,887 |
| At-Bats | 6,491 | Leads: 7,057 |
| Runs | 1,146 | Leads: 1,186 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,905 | 1,877 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 340 |
| Triples | Leads: 30 | 14 |
| Home Runs | 366 | Leads: 462 |
| RBI | 1,234 | Leads: 1,407 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 906 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 1,942 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 200 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Jose Canseco 38,575 to 24,754 — driven by per-season impact — 2,411 PIV per season to 1,303 — rather than by longevity, since Lance Berkman played 16 seasons to Jose Canseco's 19. 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
Jose Canseco — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in hits, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Jose Canseco owns home runs, RBI, and runs. 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 Jose Canseco careers compare
The careers of Lance Berkman (1999–2013) and Jose Canseco (1985–2001) overlapped from 1999 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,879 games against 1,887 across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201); Jose Canseco struck out more than walked (1,942 to 906). Jose Canseco was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Lance Berkman's slugging percentage of .537 tops Jose Canseco's .515. On the peak-season lists, Lance Berkman's best year is 2001 at 1.051 OPS and Jose Canseco's is 1996 at .989 OPS; Lance Berkman has the stronger single season.
Lance Berkman vs Jose Canseco: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Jose Canseco?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Jose Canseco in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Jose Canseco hit more home runs?
- Jose Canseco, with 462 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Jose Canseco's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Jose Canseco's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Jose Canseco's 1,877.