Sammy Sosa vs Chase Utley: Career Stats Comparison
Sammy Sosa has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Sammy Sosa played 1989–2007 as a hitter; Chase Utley played 2003–2018 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
Sammy Sosa (1989–2007) and Chase Utley (2003–2018) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Sammy Sosa finished with 2,408 hits and 609 home runs; Chase Utley finished with 1,885 hits and 259 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Sammy Sosa, with 609 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sammy Sosa, with .878 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chase Utley, with .275 to Sammy Sosa's .273.
- Who had more hits? Sammy Sosa, with 2,408 to Chase Utley's 1,885.
- Who drove in more runs? Sammy Sosa, with 1,667 to Chase Utley's 1,025.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sammy Sosa, with 30,009 career PIV to Chase Utley's 17,446.
- Who won more championships? Chase Utley, with 1 World Series title to Sammy Sosa's 0.
Sammy Sosa
Chase Utley
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Sammy Sosa and Chase Utley. 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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sammy Sosa | Chase Utley |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,354 | 1,937 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,813 | 6,857 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,475 | 1,103 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,408 | 1,885 |
| Doubles | 379 | Leads: 411 |
| Triples | 45 | Leads: 58 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 609 | 259 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,667 | 1,025 |
| Walks | Leads: 929 | 724 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,306 | 1,193 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 234 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | .273 | Leads: .275 |
| On-Base % | .344 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .465 |
| OPS | Leads: .878 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sammy Sosa outpaces Chase Utley 30,009 to 17,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,579 PIV per season to 1,026, across 19 seasons to 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).
Sammy Sosa — top 3 seasons by OPS
Chase Utley — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sammy Sosa leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Chase Utley owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sammy Sosa. PIV agrees: Sammy Sosa grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sammy Sosa and Chase Utley careers compare
The careers of Sammy Sosa (1989–2007) and Chase Utley (2003–2018) overlapped from 2003 to 2007, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,354 games for Sammy Sosa and 1,937 for Chase Utley across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Chase Utley comes out ahead, it is in doubles (411 to 379), triples (58 to 45), and batting average (.275 to .273). Sammy Sosa struck out more than walked (2,306 to 929); Chase Utley struck out more than walked (1,193 to 724). Sammy Sosa is the more power-leaning hitter, with 609 of 2,408 hits leaving the park.
Sammy Sosa vs Chase Utley: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sammy Sosa or Chase Utley?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sammy Sosa leads Chase Utley in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Sammy Sosa or Chase Utley hit more home runs?
- Sammy Sosa, with 609 to Chase Utley's 259.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sammy Sosa, with .878 to Chase Utley's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chase Utley, with .275 to Sammy Sosa's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Sammy Sosa, with 2,408 to Chase Utley's 1,885.