Curtis Granderson vs Justin Upton: Career Stats Comparison
Curtis Granderson 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). Curtis Granderson played 2004–2019 as a hitter; Justin Upton played 2007–2022 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
Curtis Granderson (2004–2019) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Curtis Granderson finished with 1,800 hits and 344 home runs; Justin Upton finished with 1,754 hits and 325 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Curtis Granderson, with 344 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS? Justin Upton, with .812 to Curtis Granderson's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average? Justin Upton, with .261 to Curtis Granderson's .249.
- Who had more hits? Curtis Granderson, with 1,800 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Justin Upton, with 1,003 to Curtis Granderson's 937.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Justin Upton, with 15,786 career PIV to Curtis Granderson's 13,634.
Curtis Granderson
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Curtis Granderson and Justin Upton. 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 | Curtis Granderson | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,057 | 1,845 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,236 | 6,721 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,217 | 1,058 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,800 | 1,754 |
| Doubles | 346 | Leads: 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 95 | 38 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 344 | 325 |
| RBI | 937 | Leads: 1,003 |
| Walks | Leads: 924 | 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,916 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 153 | 151 |
| Batting Avg | .249 | Leads: .261 |
| On-Base % | .337 | Leads: .342 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .469 |
| OPS | .803 | Leads: .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Upton leads Curtis Granderson 15,786 to 13,634 — driven by per-season impact — 929 PIV per season to 757 — rather than by longevity, since Justin Upton played 17 seasons to Curtis Granderson's 18. 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).
Curtis Granderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Upton leads in RBI, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Curtis Granderson owns hits, home runs, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Upton. PIV agrees: Justin Upton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Curtis Granderson and Justin Upton careers compare
The careers of Curtis Granderson (2004–2019) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) overlapped from 2007 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,057 games for Curtis Granderson and 1,845 for Justin Upton across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Curtis Granderson struck out more than walked (1,916 to 924), and Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). On the bases, Justin Upton stole more often per game played (153 steals in 2,057 games for Curtis Granderson, 151 in 1,845 for Justin Upton).
Curtis Granderson vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Curtis Granderson or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curtis Granderson leads Justin Upton in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Curtis Granderson or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Curtis Granderson, with 344 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Justin Upton, with .812 to Curtis Granderson's .803.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Justin Upton, with .261 to Curtis Granderson's .249.
- Who had more hits?
- Curtis Granderson, with 1,800 to Justin Upton's 1,754.