Ryan Braun vs Matt Holliday: Career Stats Comparison
Matt Holliday has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ryan Braun played 2007–2020 as a hitter; Matt Holliday played 2004–2018 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 Matt Holliday (2004–2018) — both debuted in the 2000s. Ryan Braun finished with 1,963 hits and 352 home runs; Matt Holliday finished with 2,096 hits and 316 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Matt Holliday, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ryan Braun, with 352 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Braun, with .891 to Matt Holliday's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average? Matt Holliday, with .299 to Ryan Braun's .296.
- Who had more hits? Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Ryan Braun's 1,963.
- Who drove in more runs? Matt Holliday, with 1,220 to Ryan Braun's 1,154.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Holliday, with 30,426 career PIV to Ryan Braun's 27,762.
Ryan Braun
Matt Holliday
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Braun and Matt Holliday. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Matt Holliday |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,766 | 1,903 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,622 | 7,009 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,157 |
| Hits | 1,963 | Leads: 2,096 |
| Doubles | 408 | Leads: 468 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 32 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 352 | 316 |
| RBI | 1,154 | Leads: 1,220 |
| Walks | 586 | Leads: 802 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,363 | 1,362 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 216 | 108 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .299 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .532 | .510 |
| OPS | Leads: .891 | .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Holliday leads Ryan Braun 30,426 to 27,762 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,028 PIV per season to 1,983, across 15 seasons to 14. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Matt Holliday — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Matt Holliday leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, RBI, and others. Ryan Braun leads 5: triples, home runs, stolen bases, slugging percentage, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Matt Holliday. PIV agrees: Matt Holliday 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 Matt Holliday careers compare
From 2007 through 2018, Ryan Braun and Matt Holliday were in the majors together. With 1,766 games against 1,903 across 14 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Ryan Braun struck out more than walked (1,363 to 586), and Matt Holliday struck out more than walked (1,362 to 802). On the bases, Ryan Braun stole more often per game played (216 steals in 1,766 games for Ryan Braun, 108 in 1,903 for Matt Holliday). On the peak-season lists, Ryan Braun's best year is 2007 at 1.004 OPS and Matt Holliday's is 2007 at 1.012 OPS; Matt Holliday has the stronger single season.
Ryan Braun vs Matt Holliday: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Braun or Matt Holliday?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Matt Holliday leads Ryan Braun in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Braun or Matt Holliday hit more home runs?
- Ryan Braun, with 352 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Braun, with .891 to Matt Holliday's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Matt Holliday, with .299 to Ryan Braun's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Ryan Braun's 1,963.