Ellis Burks vs Juan Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison
Ellis Burks has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ellis Burks played 1987–2004 as a hitter; Juan Gonzalez played 1989–2005 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
Ellis Burks (1987–2004) and Juan Gonzalez (1989–2005) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ellis Burks finished with 2,107 hits and 352 home runs; Juan Gonzalez finished with 1,936 hits and 434 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Juan Gonzalez, with 434 to Ellis Burks's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Gonzalez, with .904 to Ellis Burks's .874.
- Who had the higher batting average? Juan Gonzalez, with .295 to Ellis Burks's .291.
- Who had more hits? Ellis Burks, with 2,107 to Juan Gonzalez's 1,936.
- Who drove in more runs? Juan Gonzalez, with 1,404 to Ellis Burks's 1,206.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ellis Burks, with 25,806 career PIV to Juan Gonzalez's 25,105.
- Who won more championships? Ellis Burks, with 1 World Series title to Juan Gonzalez's 0.
Ellis Burks
Juan Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ellis Burks and Juan Gonzalez. 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.
| Statistic | Ellis Burks | Juan Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,000 | 1,689 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,232 | 6,556 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,253 | 1,061 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,107 | 1,936 |
| Doubles | Leads: 402 | 388 |
| Triples | Leads: 63 | 25 |
| Home Runs | 352 | Leads: 434 |
| RBI | 1,206 | Leads: 1,404 |
| Walks | Leads: 793 | 457 |
| Strikeouts | 1,340 | 1,273 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 181 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | .291 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .363 | .343 |
| Slugging % | .510 | Leads: .561 |
| OPS | .874 | Leads: .904 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ellis Burks edges Juan Gonzalez 25,806 to 25,105 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,358 vs 1,477 per year). 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).
Ellis Burks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Juan Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ellis Burks leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Juan Gonzalez owns home runs, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ellis Burks. PIV agrees: Ellis Burks grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Ellis Burks vs Juan Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ellis Burks or Juan Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ellis Burks leads Juan Gonzalez in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Ellis Burks or Juan Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Juan Gonzalez, with 434 to Ellis Burks's 352.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Gonzalez, with .904 to Ellis Burks's .874.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Juan Gonzalez, with .295 to Ellis Burks's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Ellis Burks, with 2,107 to Juan Gonzalez's 1,936.