Julio Franco vs Michael Young: Career Stats Comparison
Julio Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Julio Franco played 1982–2007 as a hitter; Michael Young played 2000–2013 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
Julio Franco (1982–2007) and Michael Young (2000–2013) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Julio Franco finished with 2,586 hits and 173 home runs; Michael Young finished with 2,375 hits and 185 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Michael Young, with 185 to Julio Franco's 173.
- Who had the higher OPS? Michael Young, with .787 to Julio Franco's .782.
- Who had the higher batting average? Michael Young, with .300 to Julio Franco's .298.
- Who had more hits? Julio Franco, with 2,586 to Michael Young's 2,375.
- Who drove in more runs? Julio Franco, with 1,194 to Michael Young's 1,030.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Julio Franco, with 14,957 career PIV to Michael Young's 9,102.
Julio Franco
Michael Young
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Julio Franco and Michael Young. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Julio Franco | Michael Young |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,527 | 1,970 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,677 | 7,918 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,285 | 1,137 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,586 | 2,375 |
| Doubles | 407 | Leads: 441 |
| Triples | 54 | Leads: 60 |
| Home Runs | 173 | Leads: 185 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,194 | 1,030 |
| Walks | Leads: 917 | 575 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,341 | 1,235 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 281 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .300 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .365 | .346 |
| Slugging % | .417 | Leads: .441 |
| OPS | .782 | Leads: .787 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Julio Franco outpaces Michael Young 14,957 to 9,102 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Julio Franco played 25 seasons to Michael Young's 15, while Michael Young carries the higher per-season figure (607 to 598). 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).
Julio Franco — top 3 seasons by OPS
Michael Young — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Julio Franco leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Michael Young owns home runs, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Julio Franco. PIV agrees: Julio Franco grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Julio Franco and Michael Young careers compare
Julio Franco and Michael Young were active at the same time between 2000 and 2007. The two careers are close in length, 2,527 games for Julio Franco and 1,970 for Michael Young across 25 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Julio Franco struck out more than walked (1,341 to 917), and Michael Young struck out more than walked (1,235 to 575). Julio Franco was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Michael Young holds the edge, .441 to .417.
Julio Franco vs Michael Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Julio Franco or Michael Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Julio Franco leads Michael Young in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Julio Franco or Michael Young hit more home runs?
- Michael Young, with 185 to Julio Franco's 173.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Michael Young, with .787 to Julio Franco's .782.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Michael Young, with .300 to Julio Franco's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Julio Franco, with 2,586 to Michael Young's 2,375.