Ken Griffey vs Brian McCann: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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 Brian McCann (2005–2019) — 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; Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 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 Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Brian McCann, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Brian McCann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Brian McCann. 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 | Brian McCann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,755 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 6,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 742 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,590 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 294 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 5 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 282 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,018 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 640 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,054 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .370 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Brian McCann 43,975 to 9,133 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 609, 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
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brian McCann owns no headline categories. 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 Brian McCann careers compare
Ken Griffey and Brian McCann were active at the same time between 2005 and 2010. Ken Griffey has the far longer record, 2,671 games against 1,755 across 23 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Ken Griffey leads every scored row of the table. Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640). On the bases, Ken Griffey stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 25 in 1,755 for Brian McCann). Ken Griffey's on-base percentage of .370 tops Brian McCann's .337.
Ken Griffey vs Brian McCann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Brian McCann?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Brian McCann in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Brian McCann hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Brian McCann's 1,590.