Lance Berkman vs Juan Gonzalez: 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; Juan Gonzalez played 1989–2005 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 Juan Gonzalez (1989–2005) — 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; Juan Gonzalez finished with 1,936 hits and 434 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Juan Gonzalez, with 434 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Juan Gonzalez's .904.
- Who had the higher batting average? Juan Gonzalez, with .295 to Lance Berkman's .293.
- Who had more hits? Juan Gonzalez, with 1,936 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.
- Who drove in more runs? Juan Gonzalez, with 1,404 to Lance Berkman's 1,234.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Juan Gonzalez's 25,105.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Juan Gonzalez's 0.
Lance Berkman
Juan Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Juan 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lance Berkman | Juan Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,689 |
| At-Bats | 6,491 | Leads: 6,556 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 1,061 |
| Hits | 1,905 | Leads: 1,936 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 388 |
| Triples | Leads: 30 | 25 |
| Home Runs | 366 | Leads: 434 |
| RBI | 1,234 | Leads: 1,404 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 457 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 1,273 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 86 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | .293 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .537 | Leads: .561 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .904 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Juan Gonzalez 38,575 to 25,105 — driven by per-season impact — 2,411 PIV per season to 1,477 — rather than by longevity, since Lance Berkman played 16 seasons to Juan Gonzalez's 17. 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
Juan Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in runs, stolen bases, OBP, and OPS, while Juan Gonzalez owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Juan Gonzalez careers compare
The careers of Lance Berkman (1999–2013) and Juan Gonzalez (1989–2005) overlapped from 1999 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,879 games against 1,689 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201), and Juan Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,273 to 457). Best seasons: 2001 for Lance Berkman (1.051 OPS, 34 HR, 126 RBI, .331 avg) and 1996 for Juan Gonzalez (1.011 OPS, 47 HR, 144 RBI, .314 avg).
Lance Berkman vs Juan Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Juan Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Juan Gonzalez in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Juan Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Juan Gonzalez, with 434 to Lance Berkman's 366.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Juan Gonzalez's .904.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Juan Gonzalez, with .295 to Lance Berkman's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Juan Gonzalez, with 1,936 to Lance Berkman's 1,905.