Matt Kemp vs Carlos Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Lee 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 Kemp played 2006–2020 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 Kemp (2006–2020) 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 Kemp finished with 1,808 hits and 287 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 Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carlos Lee, with .285 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Matt Kemp's 1,031.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Kemp, with 14,253 career PIV to Carlos Lee's 13,870.
Matt Kemp
Carlos Lee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Matt Kemp 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 Kemp | Carlos Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,750 | Leads: 2,099 |
| At-Bats | 6,365 | Leads: 7,983 |
| Runs | 950 | Leads: 1,125 |
| Hits | 1,808 | Leads: 2,273 |
| Doubles | 338 | Leads: 469 |
| Triples | Leads: 37 | 19 |
| Home Runs | 287 | Leads: 358 |
| RBI | 1,031 | Leads: 1,363 |
| Walks | 518 | Leads: 655 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,641 | 984 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 125 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .337 | Leads: .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .484 | .483 |
| OPS | .821 | Leads: .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Kemp edges Carlos Lee 14,253 to 13,870 — driven by per-season impact — 891 PIV per season to 867 — rather than by longevity, since Matt Kemp 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 Kemp — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carlos Lee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Lee 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 Carlos Lee. Note that PIV actually grades Matt Kemp ahead, which means Carlos Lee's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Kemp and Carlos Lee careers compare
From 2006 through 2012, Matt Kemp and Carlos Lee were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,750 games for Matt Kemp and 2,099 for Carlos Lee across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Matt Kemp's edges on the table are triples (37 to 19), stolen bases (184 to 125), and slugging percentage (.484 to .483). At the plate, Matt Kemp struck out more than walked (1,641 to 518), and Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655). Matt Kemp was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Carlos Lee's on-base percentage of .339 tops Matt Kemp's .337.
Matt Kemp vs Carlos Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Kemp or Carlos Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Lee leads Matt Kemp in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Matt Kemp or Carlos Lee hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Matt Kemp's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carlos Lee, with .285 to Matt Kemp's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Matt Kemp's 1,808.