Lance Berkman vs Ben Zobrist: 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lance Berkman, with .943 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lance Berkman, with .293 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Lance Berkman, with 1,234 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lance Berkman, with 38,575 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Lance Berkman's 1.
Lance Berkman
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lance Berkman and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,879 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,491 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,146 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,905 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 422 | 349 |
| Triples | 30 | Leads: 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 366 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,234 | 768 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,201 | 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,300 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 86 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .406 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .537 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .943 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lance Berkman outpaces Ben Zobrist 38,575 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,411 PIV per season to 714, across 16 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lance Berkman leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
Lance Berkman and Ben Zobrist were active at the same time between 2006 and 2013. With 1,879 games against 1,651 across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ben Zobrist's edges on the table are triples (44 to 30) and stolen bases (116 to 86). At the plate, Lance Berkman struck out more than walked (1,300 to 1,201), and Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Lance Berkman is the more power-leaning hitter, with 366 of 1,905 hits leaving the park. Ben Zobrist was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Lance Berkman's slugging percentage of .537 tops Ben Zobrist's .426.
Lance Berkman vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lance Berkman or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lance Berkman leads Ben Zobrist in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lance Berkman or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Lance Berkman, with 366 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lance Berkman, with .943 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lance Berkman, with .293 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Lance Berkman, with 1,905 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.