Ryan Braun vs Carlos Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison
Ryan Braun 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). Ryan Braun played 2007–2020 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
Ryan Braun (2007–2020) and Carlos Gonzalez (2008–2019) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ryan Braun finished with 1,963 hits and 352 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? Ryan Braun, with 352 to Carlos Gonzalez's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Braun, with .891 to Carlos Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ryan Braun, with .296 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits? Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Carlos Gonzalez's 1,432.
- Who drove in more runs? Ryan Braun, with 1,154 to Carlos Gonzalez's 785.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ryan Braun, with 27,762 career PIV to Carlos Gonzalez's 15,047.
Ryan Braun
Carlos Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Braun 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 | Ryan Braun | Carlos Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,766 | 1,377 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,622 | 5,033 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,080 | 821 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,963 | 1,432 |
| Doubles | Leads: 408 | 302 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 40 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 352 | 234 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,154 | 785 |
| Walks | Leads: 586 | 448 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,363 | 1,240 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 216 | 122 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .343 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .532 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .891 | .843 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ryan Braun outpaces Carlos Gonzalez 27,762 to 15,047 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,983 PIV per season to 1,157, across 14 seasons to 13. 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).
Ryan Braun — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carlos Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ryan Braun leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Gonzalez owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ryan Braun. PIV agrees: Ryan Braun grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ryan Braun and Carlos Gonzalez careers compare
From 2008 through 2019, Ryan Braun and Carlos Gonzalez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,766 games for Ryan Braun and 1,377 for Carlos Gonzalez across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ryan Braun leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Ryan Braun struck out more than walked (1,363 to 586), and Carlos Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,240 to 448). Ryan Braun was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Ryan Braun holds the edge, .532 to .500.
Ryan Braun vs Carlos Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Braun or Carlos Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ryan Braun leads Carlos Gonzalez in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Braun or Carlos Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Ryan Braun, with 352 to Carlos Gonzalez's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Braun, with .891 to Carlos Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ryan Braun, with .296 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Carlos Gonzalez's 1,432.