Ken Griffey vs Vladimir Guerrero: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 as a hitter; Vladimir Guerrero 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 (1989–2010) and Vladimir Guerrero (1996–2011) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Vladimir Guerrero 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 hit more home runs? Ken Griffey, with 630 to Vladimir Guerrero's 449.
- Who had the higher OPS? Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Vladimir Guerrero's 2,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Vladimir Guerrero's 1,496.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Vladimir Guerrero's 39,843.
Ken Griffey
Vladimir Guerrero
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Vladimir Guerrero. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Vladimir Guerrero |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 2,147 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 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 | 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 leads Vladimir Guerrero 43,975 to 39,843 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,912 vs 2,490 per year). 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 — top 3 seasons by OPS
Vladimir Guerrero — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Vladimir Guerrero owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey. PIV agrees: Ken Griffey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Ken Griffey vs Vladimir Guerrero: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Vladimir Guerrero?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Vladimir Guerrero in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Vladimir Guerrero hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Vladimir Guerrero's 449.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .931 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Vladimir Guerrero, with .318 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Vladimir Guerrero's 2,590.