Vladimir Guerrero vs Josh Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Vladimir Guerrero has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Vladimir Guerrero played 1996–2011 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
Vladimir Guerrero (1996–2011) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Vladimir Guerrero finished with 2,590 hits and 449 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? Vladimir Guerrero, with 449 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Josh Hamilton's .865.
- Who had the higher batting average? Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Josh Hamilton's .290.
- Who had more hits? Vladimir Guerrero, with 2,590 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Vladimir Guerrero, with 1,496 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Vladimir Guerrero, with 39,843 career PIV to Josh Hamilton's 13,689.
Vladimir Guerrero
Josh Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Vladimir Guerrero 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, 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 | Vladimir Guerrero | Josh Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,147 | 1,027 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,155 | 3,909 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,328 | 609 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,590 | 1,134 |
| Doubles | Leads: 477 | 234 |
| Triples | Leads: 46 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 449 | 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,496 | 701 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 352 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 985 | 938 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 181 | 50 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .318 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .349 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .553 | .516 |
| OPS | Leads: .931 | .865 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Vladimir Guerrero outpaces Josh Hamilton 39,843 to 13,689 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,490 PIV per season to 1,521, across 16 seasons to 9. 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).
Vladimir Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Vladimir Guerrero leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Hamilton owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Vladimir Guerrero. PIV agrees: Vladimir Guerrero grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton careers compare
The careers of Vladimir Guerrero (1996–2011) and Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) overlapped from 2007 to 2011, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,147 games of Vladimir Guerrero with 1,027 of Josh Hamilton across 16 and 9 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Vladimir Guerrero. Vladimir Guerrero struck out more than walked (985 to 737); Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352). On the bases, Vladimir Guerrero stole more often per game played (181 steals in 2,147 games for Vladimir Guerrero, 50 in 1,027 for Josh Hamilton).
Vladimir Guerrero vs Josh Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Vladimir Guerrero or Josh Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vladimir Guerrero leads Josh Hamilton in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Vladimir Guerrero or Josh Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 449 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Josh Hamilton's .865.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Josh Hamilton's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 2,590 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.