Ken Griffey vs Joe Mauer: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Joe Mauer played 2004–2018 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 Joe Mauer (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Joe Mauer finished with 2,123 hits and 143 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 Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Mauer, with .306 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Joe Mauer's 2,123.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Joe Mauer's 923.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Joe Mauer's 20,061.
Ken Griffey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Joe Mauer. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Joe Mauer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,858 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 6,930 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,018 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,123 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 428 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 30 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 143 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 923 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,034 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .439 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Joe Mauer 43,975 to 20,061 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,337, 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
Joe Mauer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Mauer owns 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 Joe Mauer careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and Joe Mauer (2004–2018) overlapped from 2004 to 2010, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,671 games against 1,858 across 23 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Joe Mauer's edges on the table are batting average (.306 to .284) and on-base percentage (.388 to .370). At the plate, Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312), and Joe Mauer struck out more than walked (1,034 to 939). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey's hits: 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey, 143 of 2,123 for Joe Mauer.
Ken Griffey vs Joe Mauer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Joe Mauer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Joe Mauer in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Joe Mauer hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Mauer, with .306 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Joe Mauer's 2,123.