Ken Griffey vs Buster Posey: 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; Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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 Buster Posey (2009–2021) — 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; Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 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 Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Buster Posey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Buster Posey. 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 | Buster Posey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,371 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 4,970 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 663 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,500 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 293 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 9 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 158 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 729 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 540 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 23 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .302 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .372 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .460 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .831 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Buster Posey 43,975 to 15,615 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,301, across 23 seasons to 12. 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
Buster Posey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Buster Posey 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 Buster Posey careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and Buster Posey (2009–2021) overlapped from 2009 to 2010, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,671 games of Ken Griffey with 1,371 of Buster Posey across 23 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Buster Posey comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.302 to .284) and on-base percentage (.372 to .370). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540). Ken Griffey is the more power-leaning hitter, with 630 of 2,781 hits leaving the park.
Ken Griffey vs Buster Posey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Buster Posey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Buster Posey in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Buster Posey hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Ken Griffey's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Buster Posey's 1,500.