Bobby Grich vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison

Mike Schmidt has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — 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; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who hit more home runs? Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Bobby Grich's 224.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Bobby Grich's .794.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Mike Schmidt, with .267 to Bobby Grich's .266.
  • Who had more hits? Mike Schmidt, with 2,234 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.
  • Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Bobby Grich's 864.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Bobby Grich's 20,680.
  • Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Leads Mike Schmidt 14 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Mike Schmidt +28,950
Read the verdict ↓

Bobby Grich

Hitter · 1970–1986
Games
2,008
Hits
1,833
Home Runs
224
RBI
864
Avg
.266
OPS
.794
View Bobby Grich's full profile →

Mike Schmidt

Hitter · 1972–1989
Games
2,404
Hits
2,234
Home Runs
548
RBI
1,595
Avg
.267
OPS
.908
View Mike Schmidt's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Grich and Mike Schmidt. 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.

Bobby Grich vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Bobby Grich Mike Schmidt
Games 2,008 Leads: 2,404
At-Bats 6,890 Leads: 8,352
Runs 1,033 Leads: 1,506
Hits 1,833 Leads: 2,234
Doubles 320 Leads: 408
Triples 47 Leads: 59
Home Runs 224 Leads: 548
RBI 864 Leads: 1,595
Walks 1,087 Leads: 1,507
Strikeouts not scored 1,278 1,883
Stolen Bases 104 Leads: 174
Batting Avg .266 Leads: .267
On-Base % .371 Leads: .380
Slugging % .424 Leads: .527
OPS .794 Leads: .908

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt outpaces Bobby Grich 49,630 to 20,680 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,757 PIV per season to 1,216, across 18 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.

Bobby Grich
20,680
Career PIV · 1,216 per season (17 seasons)
Mike Schmidt
49,630
Career PIV · 2,757 per season (18 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

1981.921 OPS22 HR, 61 RBI, .304 avg
1979.903 OPS30 HR, 101 RBI, .294 avg
1983.874 OPS16 HR, 62 RBI, .292 avg

Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS

19811.080 OPS31 HR, 91 RBI, .316 avg
19801.004 OPS48 HR, 121 RBI, .286 avg
1977.967 OPS38 HR, 101 RBI, .274 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt careers compare

From 1972 through 1986, Bobby Grich and Mike Schmidt were in the majors together. With 2,008 games against 2,404 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Mike Schmidt leads every scored row of the table. Bobby Grich struck out more than walked (1,278 to 1,087); Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Home runs make up a larger share of Mike Schmidt's hits: 224 of 1,833 for Bobby Grich, 548 of 2,234 for Mike Schmidt. Mike Schmidt was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Mike Schmidt's slugging percentage of .527 tops Bobby Grich's .424.

Bobby Grich vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Bobby Grich or Mike Schmidt?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Schmidt leads Bobby Grich in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Bobby Grich or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
Mike Schmidt, with 548 to Bobby Grich's 224.
Who had the higher OPS?
Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Bobby Grich's .794.
Who had the higher batting average?
Mike Schmidt, with .267 to Bobby Grich's .266.
Who had more hits?
Mike Schmidt, with 2,234 to Bobby Grich's 1,833.

See These Players in Another Era