Lance Berkman vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison
Lance Berkman has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Tim Salmon played 1992–2006 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 Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — 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; Tim Salmon finished with 1,674 hits and 299 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 Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Tim Salmon's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Tim Salmon's .282.
- Who had more hits? Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Berkman, with 1,234 to Tim Salmon's 1,016.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Tim Salmon's 22,790.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Lance Berkman
Tim Salmon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Tim Salmon. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lance Berkman | Tim Salmon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,672 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,491 | 5,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 986 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,905 | 1,674 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 339 |
| Triples | Leads: 30 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 366 | 299 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,234 | 1,016 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 970 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 1,360 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 86 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .385 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .498 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Tim Salmon 38,575 to 22,790 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,411 PIV per season to 1,628, across 16 seasons to 14. 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
Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Salmon owns no headline categories. 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 Tim Salmon careers compare
From 1999 through 2006, Lance Berkman and Tim Salmon were in the majors together. With 1,879 games against 1,672 across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Lance Berkman. Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201); Tim Salmon struck out more than walked (1,360 to 970). In on-base percentage, Lance Berkman holds the edge, .406 to .385. On the peak-season lists, Lance Berkman's best year is 2001 at 1.051 OPS and Tim Salmon's is 1995 at 1.024 OPS; Lance Berkman has the stronger single season.
Lance Berkman vs Tim Salmon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Tim Salmon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Tim Salmon in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Tim Salmon hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Tim Salmon's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Tim Salmon's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.