Ken Caminiti vs Luis Gonzalez: Career Stats Comparison
Luis Gonzalez 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). Ken Caminiti played 1987–2001 as a hitter; Luis Gonzalez played 1990–2008 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
Ken Caminiti (1987–2001) and Luis Gonzalez (1990–2008) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Caminiti finished with 1,710 hits and 239 home runs; Luis Gonzalez finished with 2,591 hits and 354 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Luis Gonzalez, with 354 to Ken Caminiti's 239.
- Who had the higher OPS? Luis Gonzalez, with .845 to Ken Caminiti's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luis Gonzalez, with .283 to Ken Caminiti's .272.
- Who had more hits? Luis Gonzalez, with 2,591 to Ken Caminiti's 1,710.
- Who drove in more runs? Luis Gonzalez, with 1,439 to Ken Caminiti's 983.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luis Gonzalez, with 24,585 career PIV to Ken Caminiti's 10,214.
- Who won more championships? Luis Gonzalez, with 1 World Series title to Ken Caminiti's 0.
Ken Caminiti
Luis Gonzalez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Caminiti and Luis 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, and the 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Caminiti | Luis Gonzalez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,760 | Leads: 2,591 |
| At-Bats | 6,288 | Leads: 9,157 |
| Runs | 894 | Leads: 1,412 |
| Hits | 1,710 | Leads: 2,591 |
| Doubles | 348 | Leads: 596 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 68 |
| Home Runs | 239 | Leads: 354 |
| RBI | 983 | Leads: 1,439 |
| Walks | 727 | Leads: 1,155 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,163 | 1,218 |
| Stolen Bases | 88 | Leads: 128 |
| Batting Avg | .272 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | .347 | Leads: .367 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .479 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luis Gonzalez outpaces Ken Caminiti 24,585 to 10,214 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,229 PIV per season to 638, across 20 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).
Ken Caminiti — top 3 seasons by OPS
Luis Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luis Gonzalez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ken Caminiti owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Luis Gonzalez. PIV agrees: Luis Gonzalez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Caminiti and Luis Gonzalez careers compare
From 1990 through 2001, Ken Caminiti and Luis Gonzalez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,760 games for Ken Caminiti and 2,591 for Luis Gonzalez across 16 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Luis Gonzalez leads every scored row of the table. Ken Caminiti struck out more than walked (1,163 to 727); Luis Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,218 to 1,155). Ken Caminiti was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. On the peak-season lists, Ken Caminiti's best year is 1996 at 1.028 OPS and Luis Gonzalez's is 2001 at 1.117 OPS; Luis Gonzalez has the stronger single season.
Ken Caminiti vs Luis Gonzalez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Caminiti or Luis Gonzalez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luis Gonzalez leads Ken Caminiti in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Caminiti or Luis Gonzalez hit more home runs?
- Luis Gonzalez, with 354 to Ken Caminiti's 239.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Luis Gonzalez, with .845 to Ken Caminiti's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luis Gonzalez, with .283 to Ken Caminiti's .272.
- Who had more hits?
- Luis Gonzalez, with 2,591 to Ken Caminiti's 1,710.