Nelson Cruz vs Juan Soto: Career Stats Comparison
Nelson Cruz and Juan Soto are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nelson Cruz played 2005–2023 as a hitter; Juan Soto has played 2018–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 Juan Soto (2018–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; Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 home runs through October 12, 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 Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Soto, with .945 to Nelson Cruz's .856.
- Who had the higher batting average? Juan Soto, with .281 to Nelson Cruz's .274.
- Who had more hits? Nelson Cruz, with 2,053 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Nelson Cruz, with 1,325 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Juan Soto, with 27,584 career PIV to Nelson Cruz's 25,334.
- Who won more championships? Juan Soto, with 1 World Series title to Nelson Cruz's 0.
Nelson Cruz
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nelson Cruz and Juan Soto. 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.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Nelson Cruz | Juan Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,055 | 1,207 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,501 | 4,257 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,090 | 838 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,053 | 1,196 |
| Doubles | Leads: 372 | 210 |
| Triples | 15 | Leads: 18 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 464 | 271 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,325 | 765 |
| Walks | 738 | Leads: 974 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,916 | 898 |
| Stolen Bases | 84 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .281 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .415 |
| Slugging % | .513 | Leads: .530 |
| OPS | .856 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Soto leads Nelson Cruz 27,584 to 25,334 — driven by per-season impact — 3,065 PIV per season to 1,267 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Soto played 9 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
Juan Soto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Juan Soto leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Nelson Cruz owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Soto. PIV agrees: Juan Soto grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Nelson Cruz and Juan Soto careers compare
Nelson Cruz and Juan Soto were active at the same time between 2018 and 2023. Nelson Cruz has the far longer record, 2,055 games against 1,207 across 20 and 9 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Plate discipline differs: Nelson Cruz struck out more than walked (1,916 to 738), but Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts). Juan Soto was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Juan Soto holds the edge, .530 to .513. On the peak-season lists, Nelson Cruz's best year is 2019 at 1.031 OPS and Juan Soto's is 2021 at .999 OPS; Nelson Cruz has the stronger single season. Juan Soto's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Nelson Cruz vs Juan Soto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Nelson Cruz or Juan Soto hit more home runs?
- Nelson Cruz, with 464 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Soto, with .945 to Nelson Cruz's .856.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Juan Soto, with .281 to Nelson Cruz's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Nelson Cruz, with 2,053 to Juan Soto's 1,196.