Miguel Cabrera vs Adrian Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 as a hitter; Adrian Gonzalez played 2004–2018 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
Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Adrian Gonzalez (2004–2018) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Adrian Gonzalez finished with 2,050 hits and 317 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 Adrian Gonzalez's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Adrian Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Adrian Gonzalez's .287.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Adrian Gonzalez's 2,050.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Adrian Gonzalez's 1,202.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Adrian Gonzalez's 22,539.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Adrian Gonzalez's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Adrian Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Gonzalez. 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 | Miguel Cabrera | Adrian Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 1,929 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 7,139 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 997 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 2,050 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 437 |
| Triples | Leads: 17 | 12 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 317 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,202 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 782 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,401 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 6 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .287 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .485 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .843 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Adrian Gonzalez 49,680 to 22,539 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 1,409, across 21 seasons to 16. 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).
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Adrian Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Adrian Gonzalez owns no headline categories. 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
How the Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Gonzalez careers compare
The careers of Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Adrian Gonzalez (2004–2018) overlapped from 2004 to 2018, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,797 games against 1,929 across 21 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Miguel Cabrera leads every scored row of the table. Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258); Adrian Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,401 to 782). Miguel Cabrera's on-base percentage of .382 tops Adrian Gonzalez's .358. Best seasons: 2013 for Miguel Cabrera (1.078 OPS, 44 HR, 137 RBI, .348 avg) and 2009 for Adrian Gonzalez (.958 OPS, 40 HR, 99 RBI, .277 avg).
Miguel Cabrera vs Adrian Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Adrian Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Adrian Gonzalez in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Adrian Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Adrian Gonzalez's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Adrian Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Adrian Gonzalez's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Adrian Gonzalez's 2,050.