Miguel Cabrera vs Paul Goldschmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Miguel Cabrera has played 2003–present as a hitter; Paul Goldschmidt has played 2011–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
Miguel Cabrera (2003–present) and Paul Goldschmidt (2011–present) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Paul Goldschmidt finished with 2,190 hits and 372 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Paul Goldschmidt's 372.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Paul Goldschmidt's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Paul Goldschmidt's .288.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Paul Goldschmidt's 2,190.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Paul Goldschmidt's 1,232.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Paul Goldschmidt's 35,401.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Paul Goldschmidt's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Paul Goldschmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Paul Goldschmidt. 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 | Miguel Cabrera | Paul Goldschmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 2,074 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 7,608 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,280 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 2,190 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 477 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 372 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,232 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 1,086 |
| Strikeouts | 2,105 | 1,979 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .288 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .504 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .882 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Paul Goldschmidt 49,680 to 35,401 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,366 vs 2,360 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).
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Paul Goldschmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul Goldschmidt owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Miguel Cabrera. PIV agrees: Miguel Cabrera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Miguel Cabrera vs Paul Goldschmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Paul Goldschmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Paul Goldschmidt in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Paul Goldschmidt hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Paul Goldschmidt's 372.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Paul Goldschmidt's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Paul Goldschmidt's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Paul Goldschmidt's 2,190.