Ryan Braun vs Chase Utley: Career Stats Comparison
Ryan Braun 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; Chase Utley played 2003–2018 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 Chase Utley (2003–2018) — 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; Chase Utley finished with 1,885 hits and 259 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 Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ryan Braun, with .891 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ryan Braun, with .296 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits? Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Chase Utley's 1,885.
- Who drove in more runs? Ryan Braun, with 1,154 to Chase Utley's 1,025.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ryan Braun, with 27,762 career PIV to Chase Utley's 17,446.
- Who won more championships? Chase Utley, with 1 World Series title to Ryan Braun's 0.
Ryan Braun
Chase Utley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Braun and Chase Utley. 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 | Chase Utley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,766 | Leads: 1,937 |
| At-Bats | 6,622 | Leads: 6,857 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,103 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,963 | 1,885 |
| Doubles | 408 | Leads: 411 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 58 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 352 | 259 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,154 | 1,025 |
| Walks | 586 | Leads: 724 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,363 | 1,193 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 216 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .532 | .465 |
| OPS | Leads: .891 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ryan Braun outpaces Chase Utley 27,762 to 17,446 — driven by per-season impact — 1,983 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Ryan Braun played 14 seasons to Chase Utley'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
Chase Utley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ryan Braun leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, while Chase Utley owns runs. 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 Chase Utley careers compare
The careers of Ryan Braun (2007–2020) and Chase Utley (2003–2018) overlapped from 2007 to 2018, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,766 games for Ryan Braun and 1,937 for Chase Utley across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Ryan Braun struck out more than walked (1,363 to 586), and Chase Utley struck out more than walked (1,193 to 724). Home runs make up a larger share of Ryan Braun's hits: 352 of 1,963 for Ryan Braun, 259 of 1,885 for Chase Utley. Ryan Braun was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ryan Braun vs Chase Utley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Braun or Chase Utley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ryan Braun leads Chase Utley in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Braun or Chase Utley hit more home runs?
- Ryan Braun, with 352 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ryan Braun, with .891 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ryan Braun, with .296 to Chase Utley's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- Ryan Braun, with 1,963 to Chase Utley's 1,885.