Ken Griffey vs David Justice: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 as a hitter; David Justice played 1989–2002 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 David Justice (1989–2002) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; David Justice finished with 1,571 hits and 305 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 David Justice's 305.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to David Justice's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to David Justice's .279.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to David Justice's 1,571.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to David Justice's 1,017.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to David Justice's 21,452.
- Who won more championships? David Justice, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
David Justice
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and David Justice. 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.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | David Justice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,610 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 5,625 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 929 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,571 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 280 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 305 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,017 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 903 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 999 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 53 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .378 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces David Justice 43,975 to 21,452 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,430, across 23 seasons to 15. 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).
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Justice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while David Justice owns OBP. 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
How the Ken Griffey and David Justice careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and David Justice (1989–2002) overlapped from 1989 to 2002, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,671 games of Ken Griffey with 1,610 of David Justice across 23 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where David Justice comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.378 to .370). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); David Justice struck out more than walked (999 to 903). On the bases, Ken Griffey stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 53 in 1,610 for David Justice).
Ken Griffey vs David Justice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or David Justice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads David Justice in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or David Justice hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to David Justice's 305.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to David Justice's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to David Justice's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to David Justice's 1,571.