Ken Griffey vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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 Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — 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; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 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 Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Eddie Mathews. 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 | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 2,391 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 8,537 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,509 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,315 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 354 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 512 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,453 |
| Walks | 1,312 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .509 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews edges Ken Griffey 45,555 to 43,975 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 1,912 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews 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
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Eddie Mathews owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey. Note that PIV actually grades Eddie Mathews ahead, which means Ken Griffey's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Griffey and Eddie Mathews careers compare
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) 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 2,391 for Eddie Mathews across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Eddie Mathews are triples (72 to 38), walks (1,444 to 1,312), and on-base percentage (.376 to .370). At the plate, Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312), and Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Ken Griffey was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Ken Griffey holds the edge, .538 to .509.
Ken Griffey vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Eddie Mathews in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.