Josh Hamilton vs Michael Young: Career Stats Comparison
Michael Young has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Michael Young played 2000–2013 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 Michael Young (2000–2013) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Josh Hamilton finished with 1,134 hits and 200 home runs; Michael Young finished with 2,375 hits and 185 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Hamilton, with 200 to Michael Young's 185.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Michael Young's .787.
- Who had the higher batting average? Michael Young, with .300 to Josh Hamilton's .290.
- Who had more hits? Michael Young, with 2,375 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Michael Young, with 1,030 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Hamilton, with 13,689 career PIV to Michael Young's 9,102.
Josh Hamilton
Michael Young
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Hamilton and Michael Young. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Hamilton | Michael Young |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,027 | Leads: 1,970 |
| At-Bats | 3,909 | Leads: 7,918 |
| Runs | 609 | Leads: 1,137 |
| Hits | 1,134 | Leads: 2,375 |
| Doubles | 234 | Leads: 441 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 60 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 200 | 185 |
| RBI | 701 | Leads: 1,030 |
| Walks | 352 | Leads: 575 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 938 | 1,235 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | .290 | Leads: .300 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .349 | .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .441 |
| OPS | Leads: .865 | .787 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Hamilton outpaces Michael Young 13,689 to 9,102 — driven by per-season impact — 1,521 PIV per season to 607 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Hamilton played 9 seasons to Michael Young's 15. 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
Michael Young — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Michael Young leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Hamilton owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Michael Young. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Hamilton ahead, which means Michael Young's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Hamilton and Michael Young careers compare
Josh Hamilton and Michael Young were active at the same time between 2007 and 2013. The table compares 1,027 games of Josh Hamilton with 1,970 of Michael Young across 9 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Josh Hamilton are home runs (200 to 185), on-base percentage (.349 to .346), and slugging percentage (.516 to .441). At the plate, Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352), and Michael Young struck out more than walked (1,235 to 575). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Hamilton's hits: 200 of 1,134 for Josh Hamilton, 185 of 2,375 for Michael Young.
Josh Hamilton vs Michael Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Hamilton or Michael Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Michael Young leads Josh Hamilton in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Hamilton or Michael Young hit more home runs?
- Josh Hamilton, with 200 to Michael Young's 185.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Michael Young's .787.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Michael Young, with .300 to Josh Hamilton's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Michael Young, with 2,375 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.