Kirk Gibson 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). Kirk Gibson played 1979–1995 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
Kirk Gibson (1979–1995) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Kirk Gibson finished with 1,553 hits and 255 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 Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Kirk Gibson's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Kirk Gibson's .268.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Kirk Gibson's 1,553.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Kirk Gibson's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Kirk Gibson's 15,883.
- Who won more championships? Kirk Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Kirk Gibson
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Kirk Gibson 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kirk Gibson | Ken Griffey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,635 | Leads: 2,671 |
| At-Bats | 5,798 | Leads: 9,801 |
| Runs | 985 | Leads: 1,662 |
| Hits | 1,553 | Leads: 2,781 |
| Doubles | 260 | Leads: 524 |
| Triples | Leads: 54 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 255 | Leads: 630 |
| RBI | 870 | Leads: 1,836 |
| Walks | 718 | Leads: 1,312 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,285 | 1,779 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 284 | 184 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .284 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | .463 | Leads: .538 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Kirk Gibson 43,975 to 15,883 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 934, across 23 seasons to 17. 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).
Kirk Gibson — 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 Kirk Gibson owns stolen bases. 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 Kirk Gibson and Ken Griffey careers compare
The careers of Kirk Gibson (1979–1995) and Ken Griffey (1989–2010) overlapped from 1989 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Ken Griffey has the far longer record, 2,671 games against 1,635 across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Kirk Gibson comes out ahead, it is in triples (54 to 38) and stolen bases (284 to 184). At the plate, Kirk Gibson struck out more than walked (1,285 to 718), and Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 255 of 1,553 for Kirk Gibson, 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey.
Kirk Gibson vs Ken Griffey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kirk Gibson or Ken Griffey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Kirk Gibson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Kirk Gibson or Ken Griffey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Kirk Gibson's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Kirk Gibson's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Kirk Gibson's 1,553.