Lance Berkman vs Matt Kemp: 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; Matt Kemp played 2006–2020 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 Matt Kemp (2006–2020) — 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; Matt Kemp finished with 1,808 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 Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Matt Kemp's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits? Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Berkman, with 1,234 to Matt Kemp's 1,031.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Matt Kemp's 14,253.
- Who won more championships? Lance Berkman, with 1 World Series title to Matt Kemp's 0.
Lance Berkman
Matt Kemp
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Matt Kemp. 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 | Matt Kemp |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,750 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,491 | 6,365 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 950 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,905 | 1,808 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 338 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 366 | 287 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,234 | 1,031 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 518 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 1,641 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .484 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Matt Kemp 38,575 to 14,253 — driven by per-season impact — 2,411 PIV per season to 891 — rather than by longevity, since Lance Berkman played 16 seasons to Matt Kemp's 16. 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
Matt Kemp — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Kemp 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 Matt Kemp careers compare
Lance Berkman and Matt Kemp were active at the same time between 2006 and 2013. With 1,879 games against 1,750 across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Matt Kemp are triples (37 to 30) and stolen bases (184 to 86). At the plate, Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201), and Matt Kemp struck out more than walked (1,641 to 518). On the bases, Matt Kemp stole more often per game played (86 steals in 1,879 games for Lance Berkman, 184 in 1,750 for Matt Kemp). In slugging percentage, Lance Berkman holds the edge, .537 to .484.
Lance Berkman vs Matt Kemp: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Matt Kemp?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Matt Kemp in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Matt Kemp hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Matt Kemp's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.