Ken Griffey vs Mickey Mantle: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey and Mickey Mantle are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 as a hitter; Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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 Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 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 Mickey Mantle's 536.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Mickey Mantle's 1,509.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Mickey Mantle
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Mickey Mantle. 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, and the 1980s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Mickey Mantle |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 2,401 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 8,102 |
| Runs | 1,662 | Leads: 1,677 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,415 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 344 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 536 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,509 |
| Walks | 1,312 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,710 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 153 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .421 |
| Slugging % | .538 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .907 | Leads: .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Ken Griffey 67,905 to 43,975 — driven by per-season impact — 3,773 PIV per season to 1,912 — rather than by longevity, since Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons to Ken Griffey's 23. 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
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Ken Griffey owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle 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 Mickey Mantle careers compare
Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) was finished before Ken Griffey (1989–2010) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,671 games for Ken Griffey and 2,401 for Mickey Mantle across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312), but Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts). On the bases, Ken Griffey stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 153 in 2,401 for Mickey Mantle). Mickey Mantle's slugging percentage of .557 tops Ken Griffey's .538.
Ken Griffey vs Mickey Mantle: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Ken Griffey or Mickey Mantle hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Mickey Mantle's 536.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.