Carlos Lee vs Hunter Pence: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Lee 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). Carlos Lee played 1999–2012 as a hitter; Hunter Pence played 2007–2020 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
Carlos Lee (1999–2012) and Hunter Pence (2007–2020) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Carlos Lee finished with 2,273 hits and 358 home runs; Hunter Pence finished with 1,791 hits and 244 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 Hunter Pence's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carlos Lee, with .821 to Hunter Pence's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carlos Lee, with .285 to Hunter Pence's .279.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Hunter Pence's 1,791.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Hunter Pence's 942.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Lee, with 13,870 career PIV to Hunter Pence's 10,190.
- Who won more championships? Hunter Pence, with 2 World Series titles to Carlos Lee's 0.
Carlos Lee
Hunter Pence
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carlos Lee | Hunter Pence |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,099 | 1,707 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,983 | 6,420 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,125 | 891 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,273 | 1,791 |
| Doubles | Leads: 469 | 324 |
| Triples | 19 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 358 | 244 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,363 | 942 |
| Walks | Leads: 655 | 520 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 984 | 1,335 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 125 | 120 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .285 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .339 | .334 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .483 | .461 |
| OPS | Leads: .821 | .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Lee outpaces Hunter Pence 13,870 to 10,190 — driven by per-season impact — 867 PIV per season to 637 — rather than by longevity, since Carlos Lee played 16 seasons to Hunter Pence'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).
Carlos Lee — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hunter Pence — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Lee leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hunter Pence owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Lee. PIV agrees: Carlos Lee grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence careers compare
The careers of Carlos Lee (1999–2012) and Hunter Pence (2007–2020) overlapped from 2007 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,099 games against 1,707 across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Hunter Pence comes out ahead, it is in triples (55 to 19). At the plate, Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655), and Hunter Pence struck out more than walked (1,335 to 520). Hunter Pence was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Carlos Lee vs Hunter Pence: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Lee or Hunter Pence?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Lee leads Hunter Pence in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Lee or Hunter Pence hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Hunter Pence's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carlos Lee, with .821 to Hunter Pence's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carlos Lee, with .285 to Hunter Pence's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Hunter Pence's 1,791.