Ryan Braun vs Andrew McCutchen: Career Stats Comparison

Andrew McCutchen has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ryan Braun played 2007–2020 as a hitter; Andrew McCutchen has played 2009–present 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 Andrew McCutchen (2009–present) — 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; Andrew McCutchen finished with 2,266 hits and 332 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 Andrew McCutchen's 332.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Braun, with .891 to Andrew McCutchen's .822.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Ryan Braun, with .296 to Andrew McCutchen's .271.
  • Who had more hits? Andrew McCutchen, with 2,266 to Ryan Braun's 1,963.
  • Who drove in more runs? Ryan Braun, with 1,154 to Andrew McCutchen's 1,152.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Ryan Braun, with 27,762 career PIV to Andrew McCutchen's 25,074.
Leads Andrew McCutchen 9 of 14 awarded categories
PIV edge Ryan Braun +2,688
Read the verdict ↓

Ryan Braun

Hitter · 2007–2020
Games
1,766
Hits
1,963
Home Runs
352
RBI
1,154
Avg
.296
OPS
.891
View Ryan Braun's full profile →

Andrew McCutchen

Hitter · 2009–present
Games
2,262
Hits
2,266
Home Runs
332
RBI
1,152
Avg
.271
OPS
.822
View Andrew McCutchen's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Braun and Andrew McCutchen. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Ryan Braun vs Andrew McCutchen: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Ryan Braun Andrew McCutchen
Games 1,766 Leads: 2,262
At-Bats 6,622 Leads: 8,350
Runs 1,080 Leads: 1,290
Hits 1,963 Leads: 2,266
Doubles 408 Leads: 451
Triples 49 Leads: 50
Home Runs Leads: 352 332
RBI Leads: 1,154 1,152
Walks 586 Leads: 1,183
Strikeouts 1,363 1,893
Stolen Bases 216 Leads: 220
Batting Avg Leads: .296 .271
On-Base % .358 Leads: .365
Slugging % Leads: .532 .457
OPS Leads: .891 .822

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ryan Braun leads Andrew McCutchen 27,762 to 25,074 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,983 vs 1,393 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Ryan Braun
27,762
Career PIV · 1,983 per season (14 seasons)
Andrew McCutchen
25,074
Career PIV · 1,393 per season (18 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

20071.004 OPS34 HR, 97 RBI, .324 avg
2011.994 OPS33 HR, 111 RBI, .332 avg
2012.987 OPS41 HR, 112 RBI, .319 avg

Andrew McCutchen — top 3 seasons by OPS

2012.953 OPS31 HR, 96 RBI, .327 avg
2014.952 OPS25 HR, 83 RBI, .314 avg
2013.911 OPS21 HR, 84 RBI, .317 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Ryan Braun leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Andrew McCutchen owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. 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

Ryan Braun vs Andrew McCutchen: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Ryan Braun or Andrew McCutchen?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Andrew McCutchen leads Ryan Braun in 9 of 14 categories.
Did Ryan Braun or Andrew McCutchen hit more home runs?
Ryan Braun, with 352 to Andrew McCutchen's 332.
Who had the higher OPS?
Ryan Braun, with .891 to Andrew McCutchen's .822.
Who had the higher batting average?
Ryan Braun, with .296 to Andrew McCutchen's .271.
Who had more hits?
Andrew McCutchen, with 2,266 to Ryan Braun's 1,963.