Bobby Grich vs Harmon Killebrew: Career Stats Comparison
Harmon Killebrew has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 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 Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 home runs; Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS? Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bobby Grich, with .266 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Harmon Killebrew, with 1,584 to Bobby Grich's 864.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Harmon Killebrew, with 48,240 career PIV to Bobby Grich's 20,680.
- Who won more championships? Bobby Grich, with 1 World Series title to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Bobby Grich
Harmon Killebrew
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Grich and Harmon Killebrew. 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Grich | Harmon Killebrew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,008 | Leads: 2,435 |
| At-Bats | 6,890 | Leads: 8,147 |
| Runs | 1,033 | Leads: 1,283 |
| Hits | 1,833 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 290 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 224 | Leads: 573 |
| RBI | 864 | Leads: 1,584 |
| Walks | 1,087 | Leads: 1,559 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,699 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 104 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .266 | .256 |
| On-Base % | .371 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .424 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Harmon Killebrew outpaces Bobby Grich 48,240 to 20,680 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 1,216, across 22 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
Harmon Killebrew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harmon Killebrew leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harmon Killebrew. PIV agrees: Harmon Killebrew 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 Harmon Killebrew careers compare
The careers of Bobby Grich (1970–1986) and Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) overlapped from 1970 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,008 games against 2,435 across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bobby Grich are doubles (320 to 290), triples (47 to 24), and stolen bases (104 to 19). Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087); Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559). Harmon Killebrew is the more power-leaning hitter, with 573 of 2,086 hits leaving the park. Bobby Grich was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Bobby Grich vs Harmon Killebrew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Grich or Harmon Killebrew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harmon Killebrew leads Bobby Grich in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Grich or Harmon Killebrew hit more home runs?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 573 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Harmon Killebrew, with .884 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bobby Grich, with .266 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Harmon Killebrew, with 2,086 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.