George Brett vs Ken Griffey: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett and Ken Griffey are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 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 Brett (1973–1993) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 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 Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to George Brett's 1,596.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
- Who won more championships? George Brett, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
George Brett
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett 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, and the 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,671 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 9,801 |
| Runs | 1,583 | Leads: 1,662 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,781 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 524 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 317 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 1,596 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 1,096 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .284 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .857 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey edges George Brett 43,975 to 41,511 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ken Griffey played 23 seasons to George Brett's 21, while George Brett carries the higher per-season figure (1,977 to 1,912). 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 Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while George Brett owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Brett and Ken Griffey careers compare
The careers of George Brett (1973–1993) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) overlapped from 1989 to 1993, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,671 for Ken Griffey across 21 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), while Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 317 of 3,154 for George Brett, 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey.
George Brett vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did George Brett or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.