Justin Upton vs Christian Yelich: Career Stats Comparison
Christian Yelich has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Justin Upton played 2007–2022 as a hitter; Christian Yelich has played 2013–present 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 Upton (2007–2022) and Christian Yelich (2013–present) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Justin Upton finished with 1,754 hits and 325 home runs; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Justin Upton, with 325 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Christian Yelich, with .829 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Christian Yelich, with .282 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Christian Yelich, with 1,845 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Justin Upton, with 1,003 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Christian Yelich, with 20,940 career PIV to Justin Upton's 15,786.
Justin Upton
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Justin Upton and Christian Yelich. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Justin Upton | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,845 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,721 | 6,550 |
| Runs | 1,058 | Leads: 1,102 |
| Hits | 1,754 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Doubles | 350 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 325 | 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,003 | 910 |
| Walks | 785 | Leads: 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,971 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 151 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | .261 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .469 | .459 |
| OPS | .812 | Leads: .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christian Yelich leads Justin Upton 20,940 to 15,786 — driven by per-season impact — 1,611 PIV per season to 929 — rather than by longevity, since Christian Yelich played 13 seasons to Justin Upton's 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).
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Christian Yelich leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Justin Upton owns home runs and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Christian Yelich. PIV agrees: Christian Yelich grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Justin Upton and Christian Yelich careers compare
Justin Upton and Christian Yelich were active at the same time between 2013 and 2022. With 1,845 games against 1,734 across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785), and Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Home runs make up a larger share of Justin Upton's hits: 325 of 1,754 for Justin Upton, 245 of 1,845 for Christian Yelich. Christian Yelich was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Christian Yelich's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Justin Upton vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Justin Upton or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christian Yelich leads Justin Upton in 7 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Justin Upton or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Justin Upton, with 325 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Christian Yelich, with .829 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Christian Yelich, with .282 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Christian Yelich, with 1,845 to Justin Upton's 1,754.