Luis Gonzalez vs Matt Holliday: Career Stats Comparison
Luis 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). Luis Gonzalez played 1990–2008 as a hitter; Matt Holliday played 2004–2018 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
Luis Gonzalez (1990–2008) and Matt Holliday (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luis Gonzalez finished with 2,591 hits and 354 home runs; Matt Holliday finished with 2,096 hits and 316 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 Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? Matt Holliday, with .889 to Luis Gonzalez's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Matt Holliday, with .299 to Luis Gonzalez's .283.
- Who had more hits? Luis Gonzalez, with 2,591 to Matt Holliday's 2,096.
- Who drove in more runs? Luis Gonzalez, with 1,439 to Matt Holliday's 1,220.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Holliday, with 30,426 career PIV to Luis Gonzalez's 24,585.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Luis Gonzalez
Matt Holliday
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luis Gonzalez and Matt Holliday. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luis Gonzalez | Matt Holliday |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,591 | 1,903 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,157 | 7,009 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,412 | 1,157 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,591 | 2,096 |
| Doubles | Leads: 596 | 468 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 32 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 354 | 316 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,439 | 1,220 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,155 | 802 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,218 | 1,362 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 128 | 108 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .299 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .479 | Leads: .510 |
| OPS | .845 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Holliday leads Luis Gonzalez 30,426 to 24,585 — driven by per-season impact — 1,902 PIV per season to 1,229 — rather than by longevity, since Matt Holliday played 16 seasons to Luis Gonzalez'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).
Luis Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Holliday — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luis Gonzalez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Holliday owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Luis Gonzalez. Note that PIV actually grades Matt Holliday ahead, which means Luis Gonzalez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luis Gonzalez and Matt Holliday careers compare
Luis Gonzalez and Matt Holliday were active at the same time between 2004 and 2008. The two careers are close in length, 2,591 games for Luis Gonzalez and 1,903 for Matt Holliday across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Matt Holliday comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.299 to .283), on-base percentage (.379 to .367), and slugging percentage (.510 to .479). At the plate, Luis Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,218 to 1,155), and Matt Holliday struck out more than walked (1,362 to 802). Matt Holliday was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Luis Gonzalez vs Matt Holliday: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luis Gonzalez or Matt Holliday?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luis Gonzalez leads Matt Holliday in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luis Gonzalez or Matt Holliday hit more home runs?
- Luis Gonzalez, with 354 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Matt Holliday, with .889 to Luis Gonzalez's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Matt Holliday, with .299 to Luis Gonzalez's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Luis Gonzalez, with 2,591 to Matt Holliday's 2,096.