Vladimir Guerrero vs Justin Upton: 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; 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
Vladimir Guerrero (1996–2011) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) — 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; 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? Vladimir Guerrero, with 449 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Vladimir Guerrero, with 2,590 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Vladimir Guerrero, with 1,496 to Justin Upton's 1,003.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Vladimir Guerrero, with 39,843 career PIV to Justin Upton's 15,786.
Vladimir Guerrero
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Vladimir Guerrero 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, 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 | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,147 | 1,845 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,155 | 6,721 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,328 | 1,058 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,590 | 1,754 |
| Doubles | Leads: 477 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 46 | 38 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 449 | 325 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,496 | 1,003 |
| Walks | 737 | Leads: 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 985 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 181 | 151 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .318 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .553 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .931 | .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Vladimir Guerrero outpaces Justin Upton 39,843 to 15,786 — driven by per-season impact — 2,490 PIV per season to 929 — rather than by longevity, since Vladimir Guerrero played 16 seasons to Justin Upton's 17. 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
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Vladimir Guerrero leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Justin Upton 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 Justin Upton careers compare
Vladimir Guerrero and Justin Upton were active at the same time between 2007 and 2011. With 2,147 games against 1,845 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Justin Upton are walks (785 to 737). Vladimir Guerrero struck out more than walked (985 to 737); Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). Vladimir Guerrero was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Vladimir Guerrero holds the edge, .379 to .342. Best seasons: 2000 for Vladimir Guerrero (1.074 OPS, 44 HR, 123 RBI, .345 avg) and 2017 for Justin Upton (.904 OPS, 28 HR, 94 RBI, .279 avg).
Vladimir Guerrero vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Vladimir Guerrero or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vladimir Guerrero leads Justin Upton in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Vladimir Guerrero or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 449 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with 2,590 to Justin Upton's 1,754.