Bobby Bonilla vs Ken Griffey: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey 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). Bobby Bonilla played 1986–2001 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
Bobby Bonilla (1986–2001) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bobby Bonilla finished with 2,010 hits and 287 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 Bobby Bonilla's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Bobby Bonilla's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Bobby Bonilla's .279.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Bobby Bonilla's 2,010.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Bobby Bonilla's 1,173.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Bobby Bonilla's 19,507.
- Who won more championships? Bobby Bonilla, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Bobby Bonilla
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Bonilla 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 | Bobby Bonilla | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,113 | Leads: 2,671 |
| At-Bats | 7,213 | Leads: 9,801 |
| Runs | 1,084 | Leads: 1,662 |
| Hits | 2,010 | Leads: 2,781 |
| Doubles | 408 | Leads: 524 |
| Triples | Leads: 61 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 287 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 1,173 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 912 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,204 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | 45 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .284 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .472 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .829 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Bobby Bonilla 43,975 to 19,507 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,027, across 23 seasons to 19. 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).
Bobby Bonilla — 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 Bobby Bonilla 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 Bobby Bonilla and Ken Griffey careers compare
Bobby Bonilla and Ken Griffey were active at the same time between 1989 and 2001. The two careers are close in length, 2,113 games for Bobby Bonilla and 2,671 for Ken Griffey across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bobby Bonilla are triples (61 to 38). Bobby Bonilla struck out more than walked (1,204 to 912); Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 287 of 2,010 for Bobby Bonilla, 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey.
Bobby Bonilla vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonilla or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Bobby Bonilla in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Bonilla or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Bobby Bonilla's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Bobby Bonilla's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Bobby Bonilla's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Bobby Bonilla's 2,010.