Ryan Braun vs Carlos Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Lee 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). Ryan Braun played 2007–2020 as a hitter; Carlos Lee played 1999–2012 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 Lee (1999–2012) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ryan Braun finished with 1,963 hits and 352 home runs; Carlos Lee finished with 2,273 hits and 358 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Lee, with 358 to Ryan Braun's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Braun, with .891 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ryan Braun, with .296 to Carlos Lee's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Ryan Braun's 1,963.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Ryan Braun's 1,154.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ryan Braun, with 27,762 career PIV to Carlos Lee's 13,870.
Ryan Braun
Carlos Lee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Braun and Carlos Lee. 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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ryan Braun | Carlos Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,766 | Leads: 2,099 |
| At-Bats | 6,622 | Leads: 7,983 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,125 |
| Hits | 1,963 | Leads: 2,273 |
| Doubles | 408 | Leads: 469 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 352 | Leads: 358 |
| RBI | 1,154 | Leads: 1,363 |
| Walks | 586 | Leads: 655 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,363 | 984 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 216 | 125 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .532 | .483 |
| OPS | Leads: .891 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ryan Braun outpaces Carlos Lee 27,762 to 13,870 — driven by per-season impact — 1,983 PIV per season to 867 — rather than by longevity, since Ryan Braun played 14 seasons to Carlos Lee's 16. 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 Lee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ryan Braun leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Carlos Lee owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Lee careers compare
The careers of Ryan Braun (2007–2020) and Carlos Lee (1999–2012) overlapped from 2007 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,766 games against 2,099 across 14 and 16 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 Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655). On the bases, Ryan Braun stole more often per game played (216 steals in 1,766 games for Ryan Braun, 125 in 2,099 for Carlos Lee). Ryan Braun's slugging percentage of .532 tops Carlos Lee's .483.
Ryan Braun vs Carlos Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Braun or Carlos Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Lee leads Ryan Braun in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Braun or Carlos Lee hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Ryan Braun's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Braun, with .891 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ryan Braun, with .296 to Carlos Lee's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Ryan Braun's 1,963.