Orlando Cepeda vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison

Orlando Cepeda has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 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

Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Bobby Grich (1970–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who hit more home runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Bobby Grich's 224.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Bobby Grich's .794.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Bobby Grich's .266.
  • Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
  • Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Bobby Grich's 864.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Bobby Grich's 20,680.
  • Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Grich's 1.
Leads Orlando Cepeda 11 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Orlando Cepeda +12,105
Read the verdict ↓

Orlando Cepeda

Hitter · 1958–1974
Games
2,124
Hits
2,351
Home Runs
379
RBI
1,365
Avg
.297
OPS
.849
View Orlando Cepeda's full profile →

Bobby Grich

Hitter · 1970–1986
Games
2,008
Hits
1,833
Home Runs
224
RBI
864
Avg
.266
OPS
.794
View Bobby Grich's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Bobby Grich. 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 1950s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Orlando Cepeda vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Orlando Cepeda Bobby Grich
Games Leads: 2,124 2,008
At-Bats Leads: 7,927 6,890
Runs Leads: 1,131 1,033
Hits Leads: 2,351 1,833
Doubles Leads: 417 320
Triples 27 Leads: 47
Home Runs Leads: 379 224
RBI Leads: 1,365 864
Walks 588 Leads: 1,087
Strikeouts not scored 1,169 1,278
Stolen Bases Leads: 142 104
Batting Avg Leads: .297 .266
On-Base % .350 Leads: .371
Slugging % Leads: .499 .424
OPS Leads: .849 .794

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Bobby Grich 32,785 to 20,680 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,726 PIV per season to 1,216, across 19 seasons to 17. 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.

Orlando Cepeda
32,785
Career PIV · 1,726 per season (19 seasons)
Bobby Grich
20,680
Career PIV · 1,216 per season (17 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS

1961.970 OPS46 HR, 142 RBI, .311 avg
1963.929 OPS34 HR, 97 RBI, .316 avg
1967.923 OPS25 HR, 111 RBI, .325 avg

Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS

1981.921 OPS22 HR, 61 RBI, .304 avg
1979.903 OPS30 HR, 101 RBI, .294 avg
1983.874 OPS16 HR, 62 RBI, .292 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Orlando Cepeda and Bobby Grich careers compare

From 1970 through 1974, Orlando Cepeda and Bobby Grich were in the majors together. With 2,124 games against 2,008 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bobby Grich comes out ahead, it is in triples (47 to 27), walks (1,087 to 588), and on-base percentage (.371 to .350). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087). Orlando Cepeda is the more power-leaning hitter, with 379 of 2,351 hits leaving the park.

Orlando Cepeda vs Bobby Grich: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Bobby Grich?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Bobby Grich in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Orlando Cepeda or Bobby Grich hit more home runs?
Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Bobby Grich's 224.
Who had the higher OPS?
Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Bobby Grich's .794.
Who had the higher batting average?
Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Bobby Grich's .266.
Who had more hits?
Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.