Brian Downing vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison
Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Bobby Grich (1970–1986) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Brian Downing finished with 2,099 hits and 275 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.
Brian Downing
Bobby Grich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brian Downing and Bobby Grich. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Brian Downing | Bobby Grich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,344 | 2,008 |
| At-Bats | 7,853 | 6,890 |
| Runs | 1,188 | 1,033 |
| Hits | 2,099 | 1,833 |
| Doubles | 360 | 320 |
| Triples | 28 | 47 |
| Home Runs | 275 | 224 |
| RBI | 1,073 | 864 |
| Walks | 1,197 | 1,087 |
| Strikeouts | 1,127 | 1,278 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .370 | .371 |
| Slugging % | .425 | .424 |
| OPS | .796 | .794 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Brian Downing leads Bobby Grich 22,792 to 20,680 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,140 vs 1,216 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Brian Downing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Brian Downing leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Brian Downing. PIV agrees: Brian Downing grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.