Josh Hamilton vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Ben Zobrist 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Ben Zobrist, with 1,566 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.
- Who drove in more runs? Ben Zobrist, with 768 to Josh Hamilton's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Hamilton, with 13,689 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Josh Hamilton's 0.
Josh Hamilton
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Hamilton and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,027 | Leads: 1,651 |
| At-Bats | 3,909 | Leads: 5,880 |
| Runs | 609 | Leads: 884 |
| Hits | 1,134 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Doubles | 234 | Leads: 349 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 200 | 167 |
| RBI | 701 | Leads: 768 |
| Walks | 352 | Leads: 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 938 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .349 | Leads: .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .865 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Hamilton leads Ben Zobrist 13,689 to 10,712 — driven by per-season impact — 1,521 PIV per season to 714 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Hamilton played 9 seasons to Ben Zobrist'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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ben Zobrist leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Josh Hamilton owns home runs, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ben Zobrist. Note that PIV actually grades Josh Hamilton ahead, which means Ben Zobrist's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Hamilton and Ben Zobrist careers compare
Josh Hamilton and Ben Zobrist were active at the same time between 2007 and 2015. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Josh Hamilton appeared in 1,027 games to Ben Zobrist's 1,651. Josh Hamilton's edges on the table are home runs (200 to 167), batting average (.290 to .266), and slugging percentage (.516 to .426). Josh Hamilton struck out more than walked (938 to 352); Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Hamilton's hits: 200 of 1,134 for Josh Hamilton, 167 of 1,566 for Ben Zobrist.
Josh Hamilton vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Hamilton or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ben Zobrist leads Josh Hamilton in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Hamilton or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Josh Hamilton, with 200 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Hamilton, with .865 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Hamilton, with .290 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Ben Zobrist, with 1,566 to Josh Hamilton's 1,134.