Bobby Grich vs Juan Samuel: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Grich 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). Bobby Grich played 1970–1986 as a hitter; Juan Samuel played 1983–1998 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 Juan Samuel (1983–1998) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 home runs; Juan Samuel finished with 1,578 hits and 161 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bobby Grich, with 224 to Juan Samuel's 161.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bobby Grich, with .794 to Juan Samuel's .735.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bobby Grich, with .266 to Juan Samuel's .259.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Grich, with 1,833 to Juan Samuel's 1,578.
- Who drove in more runs? Bobby Grich, with 864 to Juan Samuel's 703.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bobby Grich, with 20,680 career PIV to Juan Samuel's 1,809.
- Who won more championships? Bobby Grich, with 1 World Series title to Juan Samuel's 0.
Bobby Grich
Juan Samuel
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Grich and Juan Samuel. 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 | Bobby Grich | Juan Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,008 | 1,720 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,890 | 6,081 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,033 | 873 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,833 | 1,578 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 287 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 102 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 224 | 161 |
| RBI | Leads: 864 | 703 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,087 | 440 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,442 |
| Stolen Bases | 104 | Leads: 396 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .266 | .259 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .315 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .424 | .420 |
| OPS | Leads: .794 | .735 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Grich outpaces Juan Samuel 20,680 to 1,809 — driven by per-season impact — 1,216 PIV per season to 95 — rather than by longevity, since Bobby Grich played 17 seasons to Juan Samuel's 19. 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
Juan Samuel — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Grich leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Juan Samuel owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Grich. PIV agrees: Bobby Grich 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 Juan Samuel careers compare
Bobby Grich and Juan Samuel were active at the same time between 1983 and 1986. The two careers are close in length, 2,008 games for Bobby Grich and 1,720 for Juan Samuel across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Juan Samuel's edges on the table are triples (102 to 47) and stolen bases (396 to 104). At the plate, Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087), and Juan Samuel struck out more than walked (1,442 to 440). Juan Samuel was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Bobby Grich's slugging percentage of .424 tops Juan Samuel's .420.
Bobby Grich vs Juan Samuel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Grich or Juan Samuel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Grich leads Juan Samuel in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Grich or Juan Samuel hit more home runs?
- Bobby Grich, with 224 to Juan Samuel's 161.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bobby Grich, with .794 to Juan Samuel's .735.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bobby Grich, with .266 to Juan Samuel's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Grich, with 1,833 to Juan Samuel's 1,578.