Ken Griffey vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–present 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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Shohei Ohtani, with 2 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Shohei Ohtani. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 218 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .281 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | .538 | Leads: .574 |
| OPS | .907 | Leads: .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Shohei Ohtani 43,975 to 24,591 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ken Griffey played 23 seasons to Shohei Ohtani's 8, while Shohei Ohtani carries the higher per-season figure (3,074 to 1,912). 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shohei Ohtani owns OBP and OPS. 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 Shohei Ohtani careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ken Griffey's ended in 2010, and Shohei Ohtani debuted in 2018. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ken Griffey appeared in 2,671 games to Shohei Ohtani's 1,172. Shohei Ohtani's edges on the table are triples (49 to 38), on-base percentage (.375 to .370), and slugging percentage (.574 to .538). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). On the bases, Shohei Ohtani stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 176 in 1,172 for Shohei Ohtani). Shohei Ohtani's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Ken Griffey vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Shohei Ohtani?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Shohei Ohtani in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.