Luis Gonzalez vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison
Luis Gonzalez (1990–2008) and Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Luis Gonzalez finished with 2,591 hits and 354 home runs; Tim Salmon finished with 1,674 hits and 299 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Luis Gonzalez
Tim Salmon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luis Gonzalez and Tim Salmon. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Luis Gonzalez | Tim Salmon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,591 | 1,672 |
| At-Bats | 9,157 | 5,934 |
| Runs | 1,412 | 986 |
| Hits | 2,591 | 1,674 |
| Doubles | 596 | 339 |
| Triples | 68 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 354 | 299 |
| RBI | 1,439 | 1,016 |
| Walks | 1,155 | 970 |
| Strikeouts | 1,218 | 1,360 |
| Stolen Bases | 128 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .367 | .385 |
| Slugging % | .479 | .498 |
| OPS | .845 | .884 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luis Gonzalez edges Tim Salmon 24,585 to 22,790 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,229 vs 1,628 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luis Gonzalez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Salmon owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Luis Gonzalez. PIV agrees: Luis Gonzalez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.