Nomar Garciaparra vs Ken Griffey: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey 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). Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 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
Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 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 Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Nomar Garciaparra's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Nomar Garciaparra
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra 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, and the 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 2,671 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 9,801 |
| Runs | 927 | Leads: 1,662 |
| Hits | 1,747 | Leads: 2,781 |
| Doubles | 370 | Leads: 524 |
| Triples | Leads: 52 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 229 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 936 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | 95 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .284 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .521 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .882 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Nomar Garciaparra 43,975 to 17,414 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,161, across 23 seasons to 15. 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).
Nomar Garciaparra — 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 Nomar Garciaparra owns batting average. 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 Nomar Garciaparra and Ken Griffey careers compare
Nomar Garciaparra and Ken Griffey were active at the same time between 1996 and 2009. The table compares 1,434 games of Nomar Garciaparra with 2,671 of Ken Griffey across 15 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Nomar Garciaparra are triples (52 to 38) and batting average (.313 to .284). Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403); Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Ken Griffey is the more power-leaning hitter, with 630 of 2,781 hits leaving the park.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Nomar Garciaparra in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Nomar Garciaparra's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.