Kirk Gibson vs Greg Vaughn: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Vaughn 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). Kirk Gibson played 1979–1995 as a hitter; Greg Vaughn played 1989–2003 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 Greg Vaughn (1989–2003) — 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; Greg Vaughn finished with 1,475 hits and 355 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Greg Vaughn, with 355 to Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS? Kirk Gibson, with .815 to Greg Vaughn's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Kirk Gibson, with .268 to Greg Vaughn's .242.
- Who had more hits? Kirk Gibson, with 1,553 to Greg Vaughn's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Greg Vaughn, with 1,072 to Kirk Gibson's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Kirk Gibson, with 15,883 career PIV to Greg Vaughn's 10,473.
- Who won more championships? Kirk Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Greg Vaughn's 0.
Kirk Gibson
Greg Vaughn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Kirk Gibson and Greg Vaughn. 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 | Greg Vaughn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,635 | Leads: 1,731 |
| At-Bats | 5,798 | Leads: 6,103 |
| Runs | 985 | Leads: 1,017 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,553 | 1,475 |
| Doubles | 260 | Leads: 284 |
| Triples | Leads: 54 | 23 |
| Home Runs | 255 | Leads: 355 |
| RBI | 870 | Leads: 1,072 |
| Walks | 718 | Leads: 865 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,285 | 1,513 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 284 | 121 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .268 | .242 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .352 | .337 |
| Slugging % | .463 | Leads: .470 |
| OPS | Leads: .815 | .807 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kirk Gibson outpaces Greg Vaughn 15,883 to 10,473 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 934 PIV per season to 655, across 17 seasons to 16. 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
Greg Vaughn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kirk Gibson leads in hits, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Greg Vaughn owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kirk Gibson. PIV agrees: Kirk Gibson 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 Greg Vaughn careers compare
From 1989 through 1995, Kirk Gibson and Greg Vaughn were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,635 games for Kirk Gibson and 1,731 for Greg Vaughn across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Kirk Gibson struck out more than walked (1,285 to 718), and Greg Vaughn struck out more than walked (1,513 to 865). Home runs make up a larger share of Greg Vaughn's hits: 255 of 1,553 for Kirk Gibson, 355 of 1,475 for Greg Vaughn.
Kirk Gibson vs Greg Vaughn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kirk Gibson or Greg Vaughn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Vaughn leads Kirk Gibson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Kirk Gibson or Greg Vaughn hit more home runs?
- Greg Vaughn, with 355 to Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Kirk Gibson, with .815 to Greg Vaughn's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Kirk Gibson, with .268 to Greg Vaughn's .242.
- Who had more hits?
- Kirk Gibson, with 1,553 to Greg Vaughn's 1,475.