Ken Griffey vs Rickey Henderson: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 as a hitter; Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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 Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 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 Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Rickey Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Rickey Henderson. 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 | Rickey Henderson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,671 | Leads: 3,081 |
| At-Bats | 9,801 | Leads: 10,961 |
| Runs | 1,662 | Leads: 2,295 |
| Hits | 2,781 | Leads: 3,055 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 510 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 297 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,115 |
| Walks | 1,312 | Leads: 2,190 |
| Strikeouts | 1,779 | 1,694 |
| Stolen Bases | 184 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .401 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .419 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .820 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey leads Rickey Henderson 43,975 to 37,642 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,912 vs 1,298 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
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Rickey Henderson owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. 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 Rickey Henderson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Rickey Henderson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Ken Griffey in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Rickey Henderson hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Ken Griffey's 2,781.