Jose Canseco 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). Jose Canseco played 1985–2001 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
Jose Canseco (1985–2001) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jose Canseco finished with 1,877 hits and 462 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 Jose Canseco's 462.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Jose Canseco's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Jose Canseco's .266.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Jose Canseco's 1,877.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Jose Canseco's 1,407.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Jose Canseco's 24,754.
- Who won more championships? Jose Canseco, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Jose Canseco
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jose Canseco 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 | Jose Canseco | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,887 | Leads: 2,671 |
| At-Bats | 7,057 | Leads: 9,801 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,662 |
| Hits | 1,877 | Leads: 2,781 |
| Doubles | 340 | Leads: 524 |
| Triples | 14 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 462 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 1,407 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 906 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,942 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 200 | 184 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .284 |
| On-Base % | .353 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .515 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .867 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Jose Canseco 43,975 to 24,754 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,303, 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).
Jose Canseco — 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 Jose Canseco owns stolen bases. 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 Jose Canseco and Ken Griffey careers compare
The careers of Jose Canseco (1985–2001) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) overlapped from 1989 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,887 games against 2,671 across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jose Canseco comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (200 to 184). At the plate, Jose Canseco struck out more than walked (1,942 to 906), and Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). On the bases, Jose Canseco stole more often per game played (200 steals in 1,887 games for Jose Canseco, 184 in 2,671 for Ken Griffey).
Jose Canseco vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jose Canseco or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Jose Canseco in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jose Canseco or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Jose Canseco's 462.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Jose Canseco's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Jose Canseco's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Jose Canseco's 1,877.