Carlos Lee vs Ben Zobrist: 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). Carlos Lee played 1999–2012 as a hitter; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Carlos Lee, with .821 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carlos Lee, with .285 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Lee, with 1,363 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carlos Lee, with 13,870 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Carlos Lee's 0.
Carlos Lee
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Lee and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,099 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,983 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,125 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,273 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 469 | 349 |
| Triples | 19 | Leads: 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 358 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,363 | 768 |
| Walks | 655 | Leads: 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 984 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 125 | 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .285 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .339 | Leads: .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .483 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .821 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carlos Lee leads Ben Zobrist 13,870 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 867 PIV per season to 714, across 16 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Lee leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist owns OBP. 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
The careers of Carlos Lee (1999–2012) and Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) overlapped from 2006 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,099 games against 1,651 across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ben Zobrist's edges on the table are triples (44 to 19), walks (832 to 655), and on-base percentage (.357 to .339). Carlos Lee struck out more than walked (984 to 655); Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Carlos Lee is the more power-leaning hitter, with 358 of 2,273 hits leaving the park. Ben Zobrist was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Carlos Lee vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Lee or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Lee leads Ben Zobrist in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Carlos Lee or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Carlos Lee, with 358 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Carlos Lee, with .821 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carlos Lee, with .285 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Lee, with 2,273 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.