Lance Berkman vs Brian Giles: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Berkman has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Lance Berkman played 1999–2013 as a hitter; Brian Giles played 1995–2009 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 Brian Giles (1995–2009) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lance Berkman finished with 1,905 hits and 366 home runs; Brian Giles finished with 1,897 hits and 287 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 Brian Giles's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Brian Giles's .902.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Brian Giles's .291.
- Who had more hits? Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Brian Giles's 1,897.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Berkman, with 1,234 to Brian Giles's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Brian Giles's 28,914.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Brian Giles's 0.
Lance Berkman
Brian Giles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Brian Giles. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lance Berkman | Brian Giles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,847 |
| At-Bats | 6,491 | Leads: 6,527 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 1,121 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,905 | 1,897 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 411 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 366 | 287 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,234 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 1,183 |
| Strikeouts | 1,300 | 835 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 109 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .291 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .400 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .502 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .902 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Brian Giles 38,575 to 28,914 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,411 vs 1,807 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Brian Giles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brian Giles owns stolen bases. 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
Lance Berkman vs Brian Giles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Brian Giles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Brian Giles in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Brian Giles hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Brian Giles's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Brian Giles's .902.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Brian Giles's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Brian Giles's 1,897.