Bobby Grich vs Rickey Henderson: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 as a hitter; Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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
Bobby Grich (1970–1986) and Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 home runs; Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Bobby Grich's 864.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Bobby Grich's 20,680.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Bobby Grich's 1.
Bobby Grich
Rickey Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Grich and Rickey Henderson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Grich | Rickey Henderson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,008 | Leads: 3,081 |
| At-Bats | 6,890 | Leads: 10,961 |
| Runs | 1,033 | Leads: 2,295 |
| Hits | 1,833 | Leads: 3,055 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 510 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 66 |
| Home Runs | 224 | Leads: 297 |
| RBI | 864 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Walks | 1,087 | Leads: 2,190 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,694 |
| Stolen Bases | 104 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .401 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .424 | .419 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .820 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Bobby Grich 37,642 to 20,680 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 1,216, across 29 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).
Bobby Grich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. PIV agrees: Rickey Henderson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Grich and Rickey Henderson careers compare
From 1979 through 1986, Bobby Grich and Rickey Henderson were in the majors together. The table compares 2,008 games of Bobby Grich with 3,081 of Rickey Henderson across 17 and 29 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Bobby Grich comes out ahead, it is in slugging percentage (.424 to .419). At the plate, Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087), while Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts). On the bases, Rickey Henderson stole more often per game played (104 steals in 2,008 games for Bobby Grich, 1,406 in 3,081 for Rickey Henderson). Rickey Henderson's on-base percentage of .401 tops Bobby Grich's .371.
Bobby Grich vs Rickey Henderson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Grich or Rickey Henderson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Bobby Grich in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Grich or Rickey Henderson hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.