Michael Brantley vs Josh Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Michael Brantley has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Josh Hamilton played 2007–2015 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 Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) — 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; Josh Hamilton finished with 1,134 hits and 200 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Hamilton, with 200 to Michael Brantley's 129.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Michael Brantley's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Michael Brantley, with .298 to Josh Hamilton's .290.
- Who had more hits? Michael Brantley, with 1,656 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Michael Brantley, with 720 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Hamilton, with 13,689 career PIV to Michael Brantley's 11,049.
- Who won more championships? Michael Brantley, with 1 World Series title to Josh Hamilton's 0.
Michael Brantley
Josh Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Michael Brantley and Josh Hamilton. 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 | Josh Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,445 | 1,027 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,566 | 3,909 |
| Runs | Leads: 758 | 609 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,656 | 1,134 |
| Doubles | Leads: 348 | 234 |
| Triples | Leads: 25 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 129 | Leads: 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 720 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 485 | 352 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 658 | 938 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 125 | 50 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .355 | .349 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .516 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .865 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Hamilton leads Michael Brantley 13,689 to 11,049 — driven by per-season impact — 1,521 PIV per season to 737 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Hamilton played 9 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
Josh Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Michael Brantley leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Hamilton owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Michael Brantley. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Hamilton ahead, which means Michael Brantley's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Brantley and Josh Hamilton careers compare
The careers of Michael Brantley (2009–2023) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) overlapped from 2009 to 2015, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,445 games for Michael Brantley and 1,027 for Josh Hamilton across 15 and 9 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Josh Hamilton are home runs (200 to 129), slugging percentage (.516 to .439), and OPS (.865 to .794). Michael Brantley struck out more than walked (658 to 485); Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352). Josh Hamilton is the more power-leaning hitter, with 200 of 1,134 hits leaving the park.
Michael Brantley vs Josh Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Brantley or Josh Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Michael Brantley leads Josh Hamilton in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Michael Brantley or Josh Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Josh Hamilton, with 200 to Michael Brantley's 129.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Michael Brantley's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Michael Brantley, with .298 to Josh Hamilton's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Michael Brantley, with 1,656 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.