Carlos Gonzalez vs Josh Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Gonzalez has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Carlos Gonzalez played 2008–2019 as a hitter; Josh Hamilton played 2007–2015 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
Carlos Gonzalez (2008–2019) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlos Gonzalez finished with 1,432 hits and 234 home runs; Josh Hamilton finished with 1,134 hits and 200 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Gonzalez, with 234 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Carlos Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Gonzalez, with 1,432 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Gonzalez, with 785 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Gonzalez, with 15,047 career PIV to Josh Hamilton's 13,689.
Carlos Gonzalez
Josh Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Gonzalez and Josh Hamilton. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carlos Gonzalez | Josh Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,377 | 1,027 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,033 | 3,909 |
| Runs | Leads: 821 | 609 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,432 | 1,134 |
| Doubles | Leads: 302 | 234 |
| Triples | Leads: 40 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 234 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 785 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 448 | 352 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,240 | 938 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 122 | 50 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .349 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .516 |
| OPS | .843 | Leads: .865 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Gonzalez leads Josh Hamilton 15,047 to 13,689 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carlos Gonzalez played 13 seasons to Josh Hamilton's 9, while Josh Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (1,521 to 1,157). 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).
Carlos Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Gonzalez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Hamilton owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Gonzalez. PIV agrees: Carlos Gonzalez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Gonzalez and Josh Hamilton careers compare
The careers of Carlos Gonzalez (2008–2019) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) overlapped from 2008 to 2015, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,377 games against 1,027 across 13 and 9 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Josh Hamilton are batting average (.290 to .285), on-base percentage (.349 to .343), and slugging percentage (.516 to .500). At the plate, Carlos Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,240 to 448), and Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352). Carlos Gonzalez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Josh Hamilton holds the edge, .349 to .343.
Carlos Gonzalez vs Josh Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Gonzalez or Josh Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Gonzalez leads Josh Hamilton in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Gonzalez or Josh Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Carlos Gonzalez, with 234 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Carlos Gonzalez's .843.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Carlos Gonzalez's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Gonzalez, with 1,432 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.