Ken Griffey vs Barry Larkin: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Barry Larkin played 1986–2004 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 Barry Larkin (1986–2004) — 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; Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 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 Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Barry Larkin, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Barry Larkin
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Barry Larkin. 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 | Barry Larkin |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 2,180 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 7,937 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,329 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,340 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 441 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 76 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 198 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 960 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 817 |
| Stolen Bases | 184 | Leads: 379 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .444 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Barry Larkin 43,975 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 936, across 23 seasons to 19. 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
Barry Larkin — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Barry Larkin owns stolen bases, batting average, and 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 Barry Larkin careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and Barry Larkin (1986–2004) overlapped from 1989 to 2004, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,671 games against 2,180 across 23 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Barry Larkin are triples (76 to 38), stolen bases (379 to 184), and batting average (.295 to .284). At the plate, Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312), while Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey, 198 of 2,340 for Barry Larkin.
Ken Griffey vs Barry Larkin: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Barry Larkin?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Barry Larkin in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Barry Larkin hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.