Matt Holliday vs Justin Upton: Career Stats Comparison
Matt Holliday has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; 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
Matt Holliday (2004–2018) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) — 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; 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? Justin Upton, with 325 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? Matt Holliday, with .889 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Matt Holliday, with .299 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Matt Holliday, with 1,220 to Justin Upton's 1,003.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Holliday, with 30,426 career PIV to Justin Upton's 15,786.
- Who won more championships? Matt Holliday, with 1 World Series title to Justin Upton's 0.
Matt Holliday
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Matt Holliday 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Matt Holliday | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,903 | 1,845 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,009 | 6,721 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,157 | 1,058 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,096 | 1,754 |
| Doubles | Leads: 468 | 350 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 316 | Leads: 325 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,220 | 1,003 |
| Walks | Leads: 802 | 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,362 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | 108 | Leads: 151 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .299 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .510 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .889 | .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Holliday outpaces Justin Upton 30,426 to 15,786 — driven by per-season impact — 1,902 PIV per season to 929 — rather than by longevity, since Matt Holliday played 16 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).
Matt Holliday — top 3 seasons by OPS
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Matt Holliday leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Justin Upton owns home runs and 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 Justin Upton careers compare
The careers of Matt Holliday (2004–2018) and Justin Upton (2007–2022) overlapped from 2007 to 2018, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,903 games against 1,845 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Justin Upton's edges on the table are triples (38 to 32), home runs (325 to 316), and stolen bases (151 to 108). Matt Holliday struck out more than walked (1,362 to 802); Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). Justin Upton was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Matt Holliday holds the edge, .379 to .342.
Matt Holliday vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Holliday or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Matt Holliday leads Justin Upton in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Matt Holliday or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Justin Upton, with 325 to Matt Holliday's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Matt Holliday, with .889 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Matt Holliday, with .299 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Justin Upton's 1,754.