Bobby Grich vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo 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; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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 Ron Santo (1960–1974) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Grich finished with 1,833 hits and 224 home runs; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ron Santo, with 342 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ron Santo, with .826 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ron Santo, with .277 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Bobby Grich's 864.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Bobby Grich's 20,680.
- Who won more championships? Bobby Grich, with 1 World Series title to Ron Santo's 0.
Bobby Grich
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Grich and Ron Santo. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Grich | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,008 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 6,890 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 1,033 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 1,833 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 365 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 67 |
| Home Runs | 224 | Leads: 342 |
| RBI | 864 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 1,087 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 104 | 35 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .371 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .424 | Leads: .464 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Bobby Grich 33,743 to 20,680 — driven by per-season impact — 2,250 PIV per season to 1,216 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Santo played 15 seasons to Bobby Grich's 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
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bobby Grich owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo 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 Ron Santo careers compare
Bobby Grich and Ron Santo were active at the same time between 1970 and 1974. With 2,008 games against 2,243 across 17 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bobby Grich's edges on the table are stolen bases (104 to 35) and on-base percentage (.371 to .362). At the plate, Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087), and Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). On the bases, Bobby Grich stole more often per game played (104 steals in 2,008 games for Bobby Grich, 35 in 2,243 for Ron Santo). Bobby Grich's on-base percentage of .371 tops Ron Santo's .362.
Bobby Grich vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Grich or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Bobby Grich in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Grich or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Ron Santo, with 342 to Bobby Grich's 224.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ron Santo, with .826 to Bobby Grich's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ron Santo, with .277 to Bobby Grich's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.