Nelson Cruz vs Aaron Judge: Career Stats Comparison
Nelson Cruz has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nelson Cruz played 2005–2023 as a hitter; Aaron Judge has played 2016–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
Nelson Cruz (2005–2023) and Aaron Judge (2016–present) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nelson Cruz finished with 2,053 hits and 464 home runs; Aaron Judge has 1,262 hits and 386 home runs through October 6, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Nelson Cruz, with 464 to Aaron Judge's 386.
- Who had the higher OPS? Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Nelson Cruz's .856.
- Who had the higher batting average? Aaron Judge, with .291 to Nelson Cruz's .274.
- Who had more hits? Nelson Cruz, with 2,053 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.
- Who drove in more runs? Nelson Cruz, with 1,325 to Aaron Judge's 871.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Aaron Judge, with 37,037 career PIV to Nelson Cruz's 25,334.
Nelson Cruz
Aaron Judge
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nelson Cruz and Aaron Judge. 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 2000s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Aaron Judge is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Nelson Cruz | Aaron Judge |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,055 | 1,211 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,501 | 4,342 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,090 | 918 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,053 | 1,262 |
| Doubles | Leads: 372 | 213 |
| Triples | Leads: 15 | 7 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 464 | 386 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,325 | 871 |
| Walks | 738 | Leads: 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,916 | 1,454 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 84 | 70 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .291 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .513 | Leads: .610 |
| OPS | .856 | Leads: 1.020 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Aaron Judge outpaces Nelson Cruz 37,037 to 25,334 — driven by per-season impact — 3,704 PIV per season to 1,267 — rather than by longevity, since Aaron Judge played 10 seasons to Nelson Cruz's 20. 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).
Nelson Cruz — top 3 seasons by OPS
Aaron Judge — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Nelson Cruz leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Aaron Judge owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nelson Cruz. Note that PIV actually grades Aaron Judge ahead, which means Nelson Cruz's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nelson Cruz and Aaron Judge careers compare
From 2016 through 2023, Nelson Cruz and Aaron Judge were in the majors together. Nelson Cruz has the far longer record, 2,055 games against 1,211 across 20 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Nelson Cruz struck out more than walked (1,916 to 738); Aaron Judge struck out more than walked (1,454 to 860). Aaron Judge is the more power-leaning hitter, with 386 of 1,262 hits leaving the park. Aaron Judge's on-base percentage of .410 tops Nelson Cruz's .343. On the peak-season lists, Nelson Cruz's best year is 2019 at 1.031 OPS and Aaron Judge's is 2024 at 1.159 OPS; Aaron Judge has the stronger single season. Because Aaron Judge is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Nelson Cruz vs Aaron Judge: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nelson Cruz or Aaron Judge?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nelson Cruz leads Aaron Judge in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nelson Cruz or Aaron Judge hit more home runs?
- Nelson Cruz, with 464 to Aaron Judge's 386.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Nelson Cruz's .856.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Aaron Judge, with .291 to Nelson Cruz's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Nelson Cruz, with 2,053 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.