Ryan Braun vs Justin Upton: Career Stats Comparison
Ryan Braun 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). Ryan Braun played 2007–2020 as a hitter; Justin Upton played 2007–2022 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 Justin Upton (2007–2022) — 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; Justin Upton finished with 1,754 hits and 325 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 Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Braun, with .891 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ryan Braun, with .296 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Ryan Braun, with 1,154 to Justin Upton's 1,003.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ryan Braun, with 27,762 career PIV to Justin Upton's 15,786.
Ryan Braun
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Braun and Justin Upton. 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 | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,766 | Leads: 1,845 |
| At-Bats | 6,622 | Leads: 6,721 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,080 | 1,058 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,963 | 1,754 |
| Doubles | Leads: 408 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 38 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 352 | 325 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,154 | 1,003 |
| Walks | 586 | Leads: 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,363 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 216 | 151 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .532 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .891 | .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ryan Braun outpaces Justin Upton 27,762 to 15,786 — driven by per-season impact — 1,983 PIV per season to 929 — rather than by longevity, since Ryan Braun played 14 seasons to Justin Upton's 17. 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
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ryan Braun leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Justin Upton 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 Justin Upton careers compare
The careers of Ryan Braun (2007–2020) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) overlapped from 2007 to 2020, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,766 games against 1,845 across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Justin Upton's edges on the table are games (1,845 to 1,766), at-bats (6,721 to 6,622), and walks (785 to 586). At the plate, Ryan Braun struck out more than walked (1,363 to 586), and Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). On the bases, Ryan Braun stole more often per game played (216 steals in 1,766 games for Ryan Braun, 151 in 1,845 for Justin Upton).
Ryan Braun vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Braun or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ryan Braun leads Justin Upton in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Braun or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Ryan Braun, with 352 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Braun, with .891 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ryan Braun, with .296 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Justin Upton's 1,754.