Ellis Burks vs Juan Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison

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.

Ellis Burks

Hitter · 1987–2004
Games
2,000
Hits
2,107
Home Runs
352
RBI
1,206
Avg
.291
OPS
.874
View Ellis Burks's full profile →

Juan Gonzalez

Hitter · 1989–2005
Games
1,689
Hits
1,936
Home Runs
434
RBI
1,404
Avg
.295
OPS
.904
View Juan Gonzalez's full profile →

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; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Ellis Burks Juan Gonzalez
Games 2,000 1,689
At-Bats 7,232 6,556
Runs 1,253 1,061
Hits 2,107 1,936
Doubles 402 388
Triples 63 25
Home Runs 352 434
RBI 1,206 1,404
Walks 793 457
Strikeouts 1,340 1,273
Stolen Bases 181 26
Batting Avg .291 .295
On-Base % .363 .343
Slugging % .510 .561
OPS .874 .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.

Ellis Burks
25,806
Career PIV · 1,358 per season (19 seasons)
Juan Gonzalez
25,105
Career PIV · 1,477 per season (17 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

19961.047 OPS40 HR, 128 RBI, .344 avg
20001.025 OPS24 HR, 96 RBI, .344 avg
1999.964 OPS31 HR, 96 RBI, .282 avg

Juan Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS

19961.011 OPS47 HR, 144 RBI, .314 avg
19931.000 OPS46 HR, 118 RBI, .310 avg
1998.997 OPS45 HR, 157 RBI, .318 avg

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.

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