Vladimir Guerrero vs Matt Kemp: Career Stats Comparison
Vladimir Guerrero has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Matt Kemp played 2006–2020 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 Matt Kemp (2006–2020) — 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; Matt Kemp finished with 1,808 hits and 287 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 Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Matt Kemp's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits? Vladimir Guerrero, with 2,590 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.
- Who drove in more runs? Vladimir Guerrero, with 1,496 to Matt Kemp's 1,031.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Vladimir Guerrero, with 39,843 career PIV to Matt Kemp's 14,253.
Vladimir Guerrero
Matt Kemp
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Vladimir Guerrero and Matt Kemp. 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 | Matt Kemp |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,147 | 1,750 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,155 | 6,365 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,328 | 950 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,590 | 1,808 |
| Doubles | Leads: 477 | 338 |
| Triples | Leads: 46 | 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 449 | 287 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,496 | 1,031 |
| Walks | Leads: 737 | 518 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 985 | 1,641 |
| Stolen Bases | 181 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .318 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .553 | .484 |
| OPS | Leads: .931 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Vladimir Guerrero outpaces Matt Kemp 39,843 to 14,253 — driven by per-season impact — 2,490 PIV per season to 891 — rather than by longevity, since Vladimir Guerrero played 16 seasons to Matt Kemp's 16. 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
Matt Kemp — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Vladimir Guerrero leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Kemp owns stolen bases. 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 Matt Kemp careers compare
The careers of Vladimir Guerrero (1996–2011) and Matt Kemp (2006–2020) overlapped from 2006 to 2011, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,147 games against 1,750 across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Matt Kemp's edges on the table are stolen bases (184 to 181). Vladimir Guerrero struck out more than walked (985 to 737); Matt Kemp struck out more than walked (1,641 to 518). Matt Kemp was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Vladimir Guerrero's slugging percentage of .553 tops Matt Kemp's .484.
Vladimir Guerrero vs Matt Kemp: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Vladimir Guerrero or Matt Kemp?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vladimir Guerrero leads Matt Kemp in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Vladimir Guerrero or Matt Kemp hit more home runs?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 449 to Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Matt Kemp's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 2,590 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.