Steve Garvey vs Bobby Grich: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Garvey has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Steve Garvey played 1969–1987 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
Steve Garvey (1969–1987) and Bobby Grich (1970–1986) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Steve Garvey finished with 2,599 hits and 272 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? Steve Garvey, with 272 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Grich, with .794 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Steve Garvey, with .294 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits? Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Steve Garvey, with 1,308 to Bobby Grich's 864.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Grich, with 20,680 career PIV to Steve Garvey's 14,901.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Steve Garvey
Bobby Grich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Steve Garvey 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Garvey | Bobby Grich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,332 | 2,008 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,835 | 6,890 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,143 | 1,033 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,599 | 1,833 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 320 |
| Triples | 43 | Leads: 47 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 272 | 224 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,308 | 864 |
| Walks | 479 | Leads: 1,087 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,003 | 1,278 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .294 | .266 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .424 |
| OPS | .775 | Leads: .794 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Grich outpaces Steve Garvey 20,680 to 14,901 — driven by per-season impact — 1,216 PIV per season to 784 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Grich played 17 seasons to Steve Garvey's 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).
Steve Garvey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Garvey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Steve Garvey. Note that PIV actually grades Bobby Grich ahead, which means Steve Garvey's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Garvey and Bobby Grich careers compare
The careers of Steve Garvey (1969–1987) and Bobby Grich (1970–1986) overlapped from 1970 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,332 games for Steve Garvey and 2,008 for Bobby Grich across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Steve Garvey struck out more than walked (1,003 to 479); Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087). On the bases, Bobby Grich stole more often per game played (83 steals in 2,332 games for Steve Garvey, 104 in 2,008 for Bobby Grich). In on-base percentage, Bobby Grich holds the edge, .371 to .329.
Steve Garvey vs Bobby Grich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Garvey or Bobby Grich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Garvey leads Bobby Grich in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Steve Garvey or Bobby Grich hit more home runs?
- Steve Garvey, with 272 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Grich, with .794 to Steve Garvey's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Steve Garvey, with .294 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Steve Garvey, with 2,599 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.