Ken Griffey Jr. vs Vladimir Guerrero Sr.: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey Jr. has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ken Griffey Jr. played 1989–2010 as a hitter; Vladimir Guerrero Sr. played 1996–2011 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
Ken Griffey Jr. (1989–2010) and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (1996–2011) — they debuted in the 1980s and the 1990s respectively and share 15 seasons. Ken Griffey Jr. finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Vladimir Guerrero Sr. finished with 2,590 hits and 449 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Ken Griffey Jr., in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Griffey Jr., with 630 to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 449.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vladimir Guerrero Sr., with .931 to Ken Griffey Jr.'s .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Vladimir Guerrero Sr., with .318 to Ken Griffey Jr.'s .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey Jr., with 2,781 to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 2,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey Jr., with 1,836 to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 1,496.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey Jr., with 43,975 career PIV to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 39,843.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Ken Griffey Jr. | Vladimir Guerrero Sr. |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,671 | 2,147 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,801 | 8,155 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,328 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,590 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 477 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 46 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 449 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,496 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 737 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 985 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 181 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .318 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .538 | Leads: .553 |
| OPS | .907 | Leads: .931 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey Jr. leads Vladimir Guerrero Sr. 43,975 to 39,843 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ken Griffey Jr. played 22 seasons to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 16, while Vladimir Guerrero Sr. carries the higher per-season figure (2,490 to 1,999). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Ken Griffey Jr. — top 3 seasons by OPS
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ken Griffey Jr. leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Vladimir Guerrero Sr. leads 5: triples, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey Jr.. PIV agrees: Ken Griffey Jr. grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Griffey Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey Jr. (1989–2010) and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (1996–2011) overlapped from 1996 to 2010, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,671 games for Ken Griffey Jr. and 2,147 for Vladimir Guerrero Sr. across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Ken Griffey Jr. struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Vladimir Guerrero Sr. struck out more than walked (985 to 737). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey Jr.'s hits: 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey Jr., 449 of 2,590 for Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
Ken Griffey Jr. vs Vladimir Guerrero Sr.: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey Jr. or Vladimir Guerrero Sr.?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey Jr. leads Vladimir Guerrero Sr. in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey Jr. or Vladimir Guerrero Sr. hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey Jr., with 630 to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 449.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vladimir Guerrero Sr., with .931 to Ken Griffey Jr.'s .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Vladimir Guerrero Sr., with .318 to Ken Griffey Jr.'s .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey Jr., with 2,781 to Vladimir Guerrero Sr.'s 2,590.