Matt Holliday vs Matt Kemp: Career Stats Comparison
Matt Holliday has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Matt Holliday played 2004–2018 as a hitter; Matt Kemp played 2006–2020 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
Matt Holliday (2004–2018) and Matt Kemp (2006–2020) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Matt Holliday finished with 2,096 hits and 316 home runs; Matt Kemp finished with 1,808 hits and 287 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Matt Holliday, with 316 to Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Matt Holliday, with .889 to Matt Kemp's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Matt Holliday, with .299 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits? Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.
- Who drove in more runs? Matt Holliday, with 1,220 to Matt Kemp's 1,031.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Holliday, with 30,426 career PIV to Matt Kemp's 14,253.
- Who won more championships? Matt Holliday, with 1 World Series title to Matt Kemp's 0.
Matt Holliday
Matt Kemp
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Matt Holliday and Matt Kemp. 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 | Matt Holliday | Matt Kemp |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,903 | 1,750 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,009 | 6,365 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,157 | 950 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,096 | 1,808 |
| Doubles | Leads: 468 | 338 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 316 | 287 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,220 | 1,031 |
| Walks | Leads: 802 | 518 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,362 | 1,641 |
| Stolen Bases | 108 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .299 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .510 | .484 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Holliday outpaces Matt Kemp 30,426 to 14,253 — driven by per-season impact — 1,902 PIV per season to 891 — rather than by longevity, since Matt Holliday played 16 seasons to Matt Kemp's 16. 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).
Matt Holliday — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Kemp — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Matt Holliday leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Kemp owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Matt Holliday. PIV agrees: Matt Holliday grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Holliday and Matt Kemp careers compare
Matt Holliday and Matt Kemp were active at the same time between 2006 and 2018. With 1,903 games against 1,750 across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Matt Kemp are triples (37 to 32) and stolen bases (184 to 108). At the plate, Matt Holliday struck out more than walked (1,362 to 802), and Matt Kemp struck out more than walked (1,641 to 518). Matt Kemp was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Matt Holliday's slugging percentage of .510 tops Matt Kemp's .484.
Matt Holliday vs Matt Kemp: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Holliday or Matt Kemp?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Matt Holliday leads Matt Kemp in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Matt Holliday or Matt Kemp hit more home runs?
- Matt Holliday, with 316 to Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Matt Holliday, with .889 to Matt Kemp's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Matt Holliday, with .299 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.