Josh Hamilton vs J. D. Martinez: Career Stats Comparison
J. D. Martinez 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). Josh Hamilton played 2007–2015 as a hitter; J. D. Martinez played 2011–2024 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 J. D. Martinez (2011–2024) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Hamilton finished with 1,134 hits and 200 home runs; J. D. Martinez finished with 1,741 hits and 331 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? J. D. Martinez, with 331 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to J. D. Martinez's .863.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Hamilton, with .290 to J. D. Martinez's .283.
- Who had more hits? J. D. Martinez, with 1,741 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? J. D. Martinez, with 1,071 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? J. D. Martinez, with 22,068 career PIV to Josh Hamilton's 13,689.
- Who won more championships? J. D. Martinez, with 1 World Series title to Josh Hamilton's 0.
Josh Hamilton
J. D. Martinez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Hamilton and J. D. Martinez. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Hamilton | J. D. Martinez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,027 | Leads: 1,642 |
| At-Bats | 3,909 | Leads: 6,152 |
| Runs | 609 | Leads: 897 |
| Hits | 1,134 | Leads: 1,741 |
| Doubles | 234 | Leads: 390 |
| Triples | 24 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 200 | Leads: 331 |
| RBI | 701 | Leads: 1,071 |
| Walks | 352 | Leads: 601 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 938 | 1,714 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .349 | .348 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .516 |
| OPS | Leads: .865 | .863 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), J. D. Martinez outpaces Josh Hamilton 22,068 to 13,689 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: J. D. Martinez played 15 seasons to Josh Hamilton's 9, while Josh Hamilton carries the higher per-season figure (1,521 to 1,471). 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
J. D. Martinez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, J. D. Martinez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Hamilton owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to J. D. Martinez. PIV agrees: J. D. Martinez 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 J. D. Martinez careers compare
The careers of Josh Hamilton (2007–2015) and J. D. Martinez (2011–2024) overlapped from 2011 to 2015, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. J. D. Martinez has the far longer record, 1,642 games against 1,027 across 9 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352), and J. D. Martinez struck out more than walked (1,714 to 601). Josh Hamilton's on-base percentage of .349 tops J. D. Martinez's .348. Best seasons: 2010 for Josh Hamilton (1.044 OPS, 32 HR, 100 RBI, .359 avg) and 2018 for J. D. Martinez (1.031 OPS, 43 HR, 130 RBI, .330 avg).
Josh Hamilton vs J. D. Martinez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Hamilton or J. D. Martinez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, J. D. Martinez leads Josh Hamilton in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Hamilton or J. D. Martinez hit more home runs?
- J. D. Martinez, with 331 to Josh Hamilton's 200.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to J. D. Martinez's .863.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Hamilton, with .290 to J. D. Martinez's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- J. D. Martinez, with 1,741 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.