Orlando Cepeda vs Fred McGriff: Career Stats Comparison
Fred McGriff 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; 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Fred McGriff (1986–2004) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 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 Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred McGriff, with .886 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Fred McGriff's .284.
- Who had more hits? Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred McGriff, with 1,550 to Orlando Cepeda's 1,365.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred McGriff, with 37,233 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Fred McGriff's 1.
Orlando Cepeda
Fred McGriff
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda 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, and the 1950s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Fred McGriff |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 2,460 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | Leads: 8,757 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 1,349 |
| Hits | 2,351 | Leads: 2,490 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 441 |
| Triples | Leads: 27 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,365 | Leads: 1,550 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,882 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 72 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .284 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .377 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: .886 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred McGriff leads Orlando Cepeda 37,233 to 32,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,773 PIV per season to 1,726, across 21 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).
Orlando Cepeda — 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 Orlando Cepeda owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Orlando Cepeda and Fred McGriff careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Orlando Cepeda's ended in 1974, and Fred McGriff debuted in 1986. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 2,460 for Fred McGriff across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Orlando Cepeda's edges on the table are triples (27 to 24), stolen bases (142 to 72), and batting average (.297 to .284). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Fred McGriff struck out more than walked (1,882 to 1,305).
Orlando Cepeda vs Fred McGriff: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Fred McGriff?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred McGriff leads Orlando Cepeda in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Fred McGriff hit more home runs?
- Fred McGriff, with 493 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred McGriff, with .886 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Fred McGriff's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.