Charlie Gehringer vs Ken Griffey: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 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
Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 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 Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Charlie Gehringer's 1,427.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Charlie Gehringer's 39,288.
- Who won more championships? Charlie Gehringer, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Charlie Gehringer
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer 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 1920s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charlie Gehringer | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,323 | Leads: 2,671 |
| At-Bats | 8,860 | Leads: 9,801 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 1,662 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,839 | 2,781 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 524 |
| Triples | Leads: 146 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 184 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 1,427 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 1,186 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | 181 | Leads: 184 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .370 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey leads Charlie Gehringer 43,975 to 39,288 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ken Griffey played 23 seasons to Charlie Gehringer's 19, while Charlie Gehringer carries the higher per-season figure (2,068 to 1,912). 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).
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OPS, while Charlie Gehringer owns hits, runs, and 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 Charlie Gehringer and Ken Griffey careers compare
No season is shared: Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942, Ken Griffey 1989–2010. With 2,323 games against 2,671 across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 strikeouts), while Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 184 of 2,839 for Charlie Gehringer, 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey. On the bases, Charlie Gehringer stole more often per game played (181 steals in 2,323 games for Charlie Gehringer, 184 in 2,671 for Ken Griffey). In on-base percentage, Charlie Gehringer holds the edge, .404 to .370.
Charlie Gehringer vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Charlie Gehringer in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.