Julio Franco vs Gunnar Henderson: Career Stats Comparison
Julio Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Julio Franco played 1982–2007 as a hitter; Gunnar Henderson has played 2022–present 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
Julio Franco (1982–2007) and Gunnar Henderson (2022–present) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2020s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Julio Franco finished with 2,586 hits and 173 home runs; Gunnar Henderson has 648 hits and 110 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Julio Franco, with 173 to Gunnar Henderson's 110.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gunnar Henderson, with .801 to Julio Franco's .782.
- Who had the higher batting average? Julio Franco, with .298 to Gunnar Henderson's .259.
- Who had more hits? Julio Franco, with 2,586 to Gunnar Henderson's 648.
- Who drove in more runs? Julio Franco, with 1,194 to Gunnar Henderson's 319.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Julio Franco, with 14,957 career PIV to Gunnar Henderson's 5,834.
Julio Franco
Gunnar Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Julio Franco and Gunnar Henderson. 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 1980s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gunnar Henderson is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Julio Franco | Gunnar Henderson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,527 | 655 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,677 | 2,506 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,285 | 403 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,586 | 648 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 128 |
| Triples | Leads: 54 | 28 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 173 | 110 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,194 | 319 |
| Walks | Leads: 917 | 279 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,341 | 645 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 281 | 72 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .259 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .365 | .338 |
| Slugging % | .417 | Leads: .464 |
| OPS | .782 | Leads: .801 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Julio Franco outpaces Gunnar Henderson 14,957 to 5,834 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Julio Franco played 25 seasons to Gunnar Henderson's 4, while Gunnar Henderson carries the higher per-season figure (1,458 to 598). 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).
Julio Franco — top 3 seasons by OPS
Gunnar Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Julio Franco leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gunnar Henderson owns OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Julio Franco. PIV agrees: Julio Franco grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Julio Franco and Gunnar Henderson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Julio Franco's ended in 2007, and Gunnar Henderson debuted in 2022. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Julio Franco appeared in 2,527 games to Gunnar Henderson's 655. Gunnar Henderson's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.464 to .417) and OPS (.801 to .782). Julio Franco struck out more than walked (1,341 to 917); Gunnar Henderson struck out more than walked (645 to 279). Home runs make up a larger share of Gunnar Henderson's hits: 173 of 2,586 for Julio Franco, 110 of 648 for Gunnar Henderson. Gunnar Henderson's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Julio Franco vs Gunnar Henderson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Julio Franco or Gunnar Henderson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Julio Franco leads Gunnar Henderson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Julio Franco or Gunnar Henderson hit more home runs?
- Julio Franco, with 173 to Gunnar Henderson's 110.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gunnar Henderson, with .801 to Julio Franco's .782.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Julio Franco, with .298 to Gunnar Henderson's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- Julio Franco, with 2,586 to Gunnar Henderson's 648.