Matt Holliday vs Carlos Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Matt Holliday and Carlos Lee are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Matt Holliday played 2004–2018 as a hitter; Carlos Lee played 1999–2012 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 Carlos Lee (1999–2012) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Matt Holliday finished with 2,096 hits and 316 home runs; Carlos Lee finished with 2,273 hits and 358 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Lee, with 358 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? Matt Holliday, with .889 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Matt Holliday, with .299 to Carlos Lee's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Matt Holliday's 2,096.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Matt Holliday's 1,220.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Holliday, with 30,426 career PIV to Carlos Lee's 13,870.
- Who won more championships? Matt Holliday, with 1 World Series title to Carlos Lee's 0.
Matt Holliday
Carlos Lee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Matt Holliday and Carlos Lee. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Matt Holliday | Carlos Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,903 | Leads: 2,099 |
| At-Bats | 7,009 | Leads: 7,983 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,157 | 1,125 |
| Hits | 2,096 | Leads: 2,273 |
| Doubles | 468 | Leads: 469 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 316 | Leads: 358 |
| RBI | 1,220 | Leads: 1,363 |
| Walks | Leads: 802 | 655 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,362 | 984 |
| Stolen Bases | 108 | Leads: 125 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .299 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .510 | .483 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Holliday outpaces Carlos Lee 30,426 to 13,870 — driven by per-season impact — 1,902 PIV per season to 867 — rather than by longevity, since Matt Holliday played 16 seasons to Carlos Lee'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
Carlos Lee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Matt Holliday leads in runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Carlos Lee owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Carlos Lee careers compare
From 2004 through 2012, Matt Holliday and Carlos Lee were in the majors together. With 1,903 games against 2,099 across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Matt Holliday struck out more than walked (1,362 to 802), and Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655). On the bases, Carlos Lee stole more often per game played (108 steals in 1,903 games for Matt Holliday, 125 in 2,099 for Carlos Lee). Matt Holliday's slugging percentage of .510 tops Carlos Lee's .483.
Matt Holliday vs Carlos Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Matt Holliday or Carlos Lee hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Matt Holliday, with .889 to Carlos Lee's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Matt Holliday, with .299 to Carlos Lee's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Matt Holliday's 2,096.