George Bell vs Ken Griffey: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Bell played 1981–1993 as a hitter; Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 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
George Bell (1981–1993) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. George Bell finished with 1,702 hits and 265 home runs; Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Griffey, with 630 to George Bell's 265.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to George Bell's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to George Bell's .278.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to George Bell's 1,702.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to George Bell's 1,002.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to George Bell's 10,532.
George Bell
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Bell and Ken Griffey. 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 | George Bell | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,587 | Leads: 2,671 |
| At-Bats | 6,123 | Leads: 9,801 |
| Runs | 814 | Leads: 1,662 |
| Hits | 1,702 | Leads: 2,781 |
| Doubles | 308 | Leads: 524 |
| Triples | 34 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 265 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 1,002 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 331 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 771 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | .278 | Leads: .284 |
| On-Base % | .316 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .469 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .785 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces George Bell 43,975 to 10,532 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 878, across 23 seasons to 12. 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).
George Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Bell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey. PIV agrees: Ken Griffey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Bell and Ken Griffey careers compare
George Bell and Ken Griffey were active at the same time between 1989 and 1993. Ken Griffey has the far longer record, 2,671 games against 1,587 across 12 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Ken Griffey. George Bell struck out more than walked (771 to 331); Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 265 of 1,702 for George Bell, 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey. On the bases, Ken Griffey stole more often per game played (67 steals in 1,587 games for George Bell, 184 in 2,671 for Ken Griffey).
George Bell vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Bell or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads George Bell in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Bell or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to George Bell's 265.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to George Bell's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to George Bell's .278.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to George Bell's 1,702.