Lance Berkman vs Carlos Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Berkman has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Carlos Gonzalez played 2008–2019 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 Carlos Gonzalez (2008–2019) — 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; Carlos Gonzalez finished with 1,432 hits and 234 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 Carlos Gonzalez's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Carlos Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits? Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Carlos Gonzalez's 1,432.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Berkman, with 1,234 to Carlos Gonzalez's 785.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Carlos Gonzalez's 15,047.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Carlos Gonzalez's 0.
Lance Berkman
Carlos Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Carlos Gonzalez. 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 | Carlos Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,377 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,491 | 5,033 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 821 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,905 | 1,432 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 302 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 40 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 366 | 234 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,234 | 785 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 448 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 1,240 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 122 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .343 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .843 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Carlos Gonzalez 38,575 to 15,047 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,411 PIV per season to 1,157, across 16 seasons to 13. 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
Carlos Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Gonzalez 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
How the Lance Berkman and Carlos Gonzalez careers compare
Lance Berkman and Carlos Gonzalez were active at the same time between 2008 and 2013. With 1,879 games against 1,377 across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Carlos Gonzalez are triples (40 to 30) and stolen bases (122 to 86). At the plate, Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201), and Carlos Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,240 to 448). Carlos Gonzalez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Lance Berkman's slugging percentage of .537 tops Carlos Gonzalez's .500.
Lance Berkman vs Carlos Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Carlos Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Carlos Gonzalez in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Carlos Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Carlos Gonzalez's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Carlos Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Carlos Gonzalez's 1,432.