Michael Brantley vs Carlos Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison
Michael Brantley 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). Michael Brantley played 2009–2023 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
Michael Brantley (2009–2023) and Carlos Gonzalez (2008–2019) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Michael Brantley finished with 1,656 hits and 129 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? Carlos Gonzalez, with 234 to Michael Brantley's 129.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carlos Gonzalez, with .843 to Michael Brantley's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Michael Brantley, with .298 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits? Michael Brantley, with 1,656 to Carlos Gonzalez's 1,432.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Gonzalez, with 785 to Michael Brantley's 720.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Gonzalez, with 15,047 career PIV to Michael Brantley's 11,049.
- Who won more championships? Michael Brantley, with 1 World Series title to Carlos Gonzalez's 0.
Michael Brantley
Carlos Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Michael Brantley 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Michael Brantley | Carlos Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,445 | 1,377 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,566 | 5,033 |
| Runs | 758 | Leads: 821 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,656 | 1,432 |
| Doubles | Leads: 348 | 302 |
| Triples | 25 | Leads: 40 |
| Home Runs | 129 | Leads: 234 |
| RBI | 720 | Leads: 785 |
| Walks | Leads: 485 | 448 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 658 | 1,240 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 125 | 122 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .355 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .500 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .843 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Gonzalez outpaces Michael Brantley 15,047 to 11,049 — driven by per-season impact — 1,157 PIV per season to 737 — rather than by longevity, since Carlos Gonzalez played 13 seasons to Michael Brantley's 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).
Michael Brantley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carlos Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Gonzalez leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OPS, while Michael Brantley owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Gonzalez. PIV agrees: Carlos Gonzalez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Brantley and Carlos Gonzalez careers compare
The careers of Michael Brantley (2009–2023) and Carlos Gonzalez (2008–2019) overlapped from 2009 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,445 games against 1,377 across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Michael Brantley struck out more than walked (658 to 485), and Carlos Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,240 to 448). Home runs make up a larger share of Carlos Gonzalez's hits: 129 of 1,656 for Michael Brantley, 234 of 1,432 for Carlos Gonzalez. Carlos Gonzalez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Carlos Gonzalez holds the edge, .500 to .439.
Michael Brantley vs Carlos Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Brantley or Carlos Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Michael Brantley leads Carlos Gonzalez in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Michael Brantley or Carlos Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Carlos Gonzalez, with 234 to Michael Brantley's 129.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carlos Gonzalez, with .843 to Michael Brantley's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Michael Brantley, with .298 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Michael Brantley, with 1,656 to Carlos Gonzalez's 1,432.