George Bell vs Fred McGriff: Career Stats Comparison
Fred McGriff 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). George Bell played 1981–1993 as a hitter; Fred McGriff played 1986–2004 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 Fred McGriff (1986–2004) — 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; Fred McGriff finished with 2,490 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Fred McGriff, with 493 to George Bell's 265.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred McGriff, with .886 to George Bell's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred McGriff, with .284 to George Bell's .278.
- Who had more hits? Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to George Bell's 1,702.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred McGriff, with 1,550 to George Bell's 1,002.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred McGriff, with 37,233 career PIV to George Bell's 10,532.
- Who won more championships? Fred McGriff, with 1 World Series title to George Bell's 0.
George Bell
Fred McGriff
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Bell and Fred McGriff. 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 | Fred McGriff |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,587 | Leads: 2,460 |
| At-Bats | 6,123 | Leads: 8,757 |
| Runs | 814 | Leads: 1,349 |
| Hits | 1,702 | Leads: 2,490 |
| Doubles | 308 | Leads: 441 |
| Triples | Leads: 34 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 265 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,002 | Leads: 1,550 |
| Walks | 331 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 771 | 1,882 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 72 |
| Batting Avg | .278 | Leads: .284 |
| On-Base % | .316 | Leads: .377 |
| Slugging % | .469 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .785 | Leads: .886 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred McGriff outpaces George Bell 37,233 to 10,532 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,773 PIV per season to 878, across 21 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
Fred McGriff — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred McGriff 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 Fred McGriff. PIV agrees: Fred McGriff 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 Fred McGriff careers compare
The careers of George Bell (1981–1993) and Fred McGriff (1986–2004) overlapped from 1986 to 1993, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: George Bell appeared in 1,587 games to Fred McGriff's 2,460. Where George Bell comes out ahead, it is in triples (34 to 24). At the plate, George Bell struck out more than walked (771 to 331), and Fred McGriff struck out more than walked (1,882 to 1,305). Fred McGriff's slugging percentage of .509 tops George Bell's .469.
George Bell vs Fred McGriff: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Bell or Fred McGriff?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred McGriff leads George Bell in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Bell or Fred McGriff hit more home runs?
- Fred McGriff, with 493 to George Bell's 265.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred McGriff, with .886 to George Bell's .785.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred McGriff, with .284 to George Bell's .278.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to George Bell's 1,702.