Justin Morneau vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
Joey Votto 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). Justin Morneau played 2003–2016 as a hitter; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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
Justin Morneau (2003–2016) and Joey Votto (2007–2023) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Justin Morneau finished with 1,603 hits and 247 home runs; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joey Votto, with 356 to Justin Morneau's 247.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joey Votto, with .920 to Justin Morneau's .828.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joey Votto, with .294 to Justin Morneau's .281.
- Who had more hits? Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Justin Morneau's 1,603.
- Who drove in more runs? Joey Votto, with 1,144 to Justin Morneau's 985.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joey Votto, with 43,852 career PIV to Justin Morneau's 13,464.
Justin Morneau
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Justin Morneau and Joey Votto. 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 | Justin Morneau | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,545 | Leads: 2,056 |
| At-Bats | 5,699 | Leads: 7,252 |
| Runs | 772 | Leads: 1,171 |
| Hits | 1,603 | Leads: 2,135 |
| Doubles | 349 | Leads: 459 |
| Triples | Leads: 23 | 22 |
| Home Runs | 247 | Leads: 356 |
| RBI | 985 | Leads: 1,144 |
| Walks | 573 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 988 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | 5 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .409 |
| Slugging % | .481 | Leads: .511 |
| OPS | .828 | Leads: .920 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joey Votto outpaces Justin Morneau 43,852 to 13,464 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,580 PIV per season to 898, across 17 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).
Justin Morneau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joey Votto leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Justin Morneau owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joey Votto. PIV agrees: Joey Votto grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Justin Morneau and Joey Votto careers compare
Justin Morneau and Joey Votto were active at the same time between 2007 and 2016. With 1,545 games against 2,056 across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Justin Morneau comes out ahead, it is in triples (23 to 22). At the plate, Justin Morneau struck out more than walked (988 to 573), and Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). Joey Votto's on-base percentage of .409 tops Justin Morneau's .348. Joey Votto owns the better peak by OPS: .934 OPS in 2006 for Justin Morneau against 1.041 OPS in 2012 for Joey Votto.
Justin Morneau vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Justin Morneau or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joey Votto leads Justin Morneau in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Justin Morneau or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Joey Votto, with 356 to Justin Morneau's 247.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joey Votto, with .920 to Justin Morneau's .828.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joey Votto, with .294 to Justin Morneau's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Justin Morneau's 1,603.