Lance Berkman vs Brian Giles: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Berkman has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1990s. 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 leads the career comparison? Lance Berkman, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Lance Berkman | Brian Giles |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,879 | 1,847 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,491 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,572 PIV per season to 1,928 — rather than by longevity, since Lance Berkman played 15 seasons to Brian Giles's 15. 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
Lance Berkman leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Brian Giles leads 2: triples and stolen bases. 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 Brian Giles careers compare
Lance Berkman and Brian Giles were active at the same time between 1999 and 2009. The two careers are close in length, 1,879 games for Lance Berkman and 1,847 for Brian Giles across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Brian Giles are triples (55 to 30) and stolen bases (109 to 86). At the plate, Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201), while Brian Giles walked more often than struck out (1,183 walks, 835 strikeouts). Brian Giles was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Lance Berkman holds the edge, .537 to .502.
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 10 of the 12 scored 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.