Miguel Cabrera vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 as a hitter; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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 Joey Votto (2007–2023) — both debuted in the 2000s. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Miguel Cabrera, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joey Votto, with .920 to Miguel Cabrera's .901.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Joey Votto's 2,135.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Joey Votto's 43,852.
Miguel Cabrera
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Joey Votto. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,797 | 2,056 |
| At-Bats not scored | 10,356 | 7,252 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,171 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 2,135 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 459 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 22 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,144 |
| Walks | 1,258 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .294 |
| On-Base % | .382 | Leads: .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .511 |
| OPS | .901 | Leads: .920 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera leads Joey Votto 49,680 to 43,852 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Miguel Cabrera played 21 seasons to Joey Votto's 17, while Joey Votto carries the higher per-season figure (2,580 to 2,366). 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
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Miguel Cabrera leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Joey Votto leads 5: triples, walks, stolen bases, on-base percentage, and others. 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 Joey Votto careers compare
The careers of Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Joey Votto (2007–2023) overlapped from 2007 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 2,056 for Joey Votto across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258), and Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). In slugging percentage, Miguel Cabrera holds the edge, .518 to .511.
Miguel Cabrera vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Joey Votto in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joey Votto, with .920 to Miguel Cabrera's .901.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Joey Votto's 2,135.