Josh Hamilton vs Carlos Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Lee has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Hamilton played 2007–2015 as a hitter; Carlos Lee played 1999–2012 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
Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) and Carlos Lee (1999–2012) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Hamilton finished with 1,134 hits and 200 home runs; Carlos Lee finished with 2,273 hits and 358 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Lee, with 358 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Carlos Lee's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Lee, with 13,870 career PIV to Josh Hamilton's 13,689.
Josh Hamilton
Carlos Lee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Hamilton and Carlos Lee. 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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Hamilton | Carlos Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,027 | Leads: 2,099 |
| At-Bats | 3,909 | Leads: 7,983 |
| Runs | 609 | Leads: 1,125 |
| Hits | 1,134 | Leads: 2,273 |
| Doubles | 234 | Leads: 469 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 200 | Leads: 358 |
| RBI | 701 | Leads: 1,363 |
| Walks | 352 | Leads: 655 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 938 | 984 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 125 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .349 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .483 |
| OPS | Leads: .865 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Lee edges Josh Hamilton 13,870 to 13,689 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carlos Lee played 16 seasons to Josh Hamilton's 9, while Josh Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (1,521 to 867). 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).
Josh Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carlos Lee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Lee leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Hamilton owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Lee. PIV agrees: Carlos Lee grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Hamilton and Carlos Lee careers compare
The careers of Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) and Carlos Lee (1999–2012) overlapped from 2007 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Carlos Lee has the far longer record, 2,099 games against 1,027 across 9 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352); Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655). Carlos Lee was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Josh Hamilton's slugging percentage of .516 tops Carlos Lee's .483.
Josh Hamilton vs Carlos Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Hamilton or Carlos Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Lee leads Josh Hamilton in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Hamilton or Carlos Lee hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Carlos Lee's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.