Ken Griffey vs Kevin Mitchell: 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; Kevin Mitchell played 1984–1998 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 Kevin Mitchell (1984–1998) — 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; Kevin Mitchell finished with 1,173 hits and 234 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 Kevin Mitchell's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Kevin Mitchell's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Kevin Mitchell's 1,173.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Kevin Mitchell's 760.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Kevin Mitchell's 17,577.
- Who won more championships? Kevin Mitchell, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Kevin Mitchell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Kevin Mitchell. 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 | Kevin Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,223 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 4,134 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 630 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,173 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 224 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 25 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 234 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 760 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 491 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 719 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .370 | .360 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .520 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .880 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Kevin Mitchell 43,975 to 17,577 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,172, 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
Kevin Mitchell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Kevin Mitchell 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 Kevin Mitchell careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and Kevin Mitchell (1984–1998) overlapped from 1989 to 1998, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Ken Griffey has the far longer record, 2,671 games against 1,223 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); Kevin Mitchell struck out more than walked (719 to 491). On the bases, Ken Griffey stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 30 in 1,223 for Kevin Mitchell). Ken Griffey's on-base percentage of .370 tops Kevin Mitchell's .360.
Ken Griffey vs Kevin Mitchell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Kevin Mitchell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Kevin Mitchell in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Kevin Mitchell hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Kevin Mitchell's 234.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Kevin Mitchell's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Kevin Mitchell's 1,173.