Bryce Harper vs Justin Upton: Career Stats Comparison
Bryce Harper 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). Bryce Harper has played 2012–present 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
Bryce Harper (2012–present) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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? Bryce Harper, with 392 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bryce Harper, with .902 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bryce Harper, with .279 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Bryce Harper, with 1,956 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Bryce Harper, with 1,138 to Justin Upton's 1,003.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bryce Harper, with 34,405 career PIV to Justin Upton's 15,786.
Bryce Harper
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bryce Harper 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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Bryce Harper is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Bryce Harper | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,947 | 1,845 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,012 | 6,721 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,247 | 1,058 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,956 | 1,754 |
| Doubles | Leads: 433 | 350 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 392 | 325 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,138 | 1,003 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,212 | 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,802 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 159 | 151 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .386 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .902 | .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bryce Harper outpaces Justin Upton 34,405 to 15,786 — driven by per-season impact — 2,458 PIV per season to 929 — rather than by longevity, since Bryce Harper played 14 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).
Bryce Harper — top 3 seasons by OPS
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bryce Harper 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 Bryce Harper. PIV agrees: Bryce Harper grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bryce Harper and Justin Upton careers compare
Bryce Harper and Justin Upton were active at the same time between 2012 and 2022. With 1,947 games against 1,845 across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Justin Upton comes out ahead, it is in triples (38 to 27). Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212); Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). On the bases, Justin Upton stole more often per game played (159 steals in 1,947 games for Bryce Harper, 151 in 1,845 for Justin Upton). Bryce Harper's slugging percentage of .516 tops Justin Upton's .469. Because Bryce Harper is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Bryce Harper vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bryce Harper or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bryce Harper leads Justin Upton in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bryce Harper or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Bryce Harper, with 392 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bryce Harper, with .902 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bryce Harper, with .279 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Bryce Harper, with 1,956 to Justin Upton's 1,754.