Ken Griffey Jr. vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey Jr. has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ken Griffey Jr. played 1989–2010 as a hitter; Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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 Jr. (1989–2010) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — they debuted in the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Ken Griffey Jr. finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Ken Griffey Jr., in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Griffey Jr., with 630 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey Jr., with .907 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Ken Griffey Jr.'s .284.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey Jr., with 2,781 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey Jr., with 1,836 to Jim Rice's 1,451.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey Jr., with 43,975 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Rice. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey Jr. | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,671 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,801 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,249 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 373 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .370 | .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .502 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .854 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey Jr. outpaces Jim Rice 43,975 to 31,418 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,999 PIV per season to 1,964, across 22 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Ken Griffey Jr. — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ken Griffey Jr. leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Jim Rice leads 2: triples and batting average. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey Jr.. PIV agrees: Ken Griffey Jr. grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Rice careers compare
The careers of Ken Griffey Jr. (1989–2010) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) overlapped from 1989 to 1989, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,671 games against 2,089 across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Jim Rice are triples (79 to 38) and batting average (.298 to .284). At the plate, Ken Griffey Jr. struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312), and Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670). Home runs make up a larger share of Ken Griffey Jr.'s hits: 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey Jr., 382 of 2,452 for Jim Rice.
Ken Griffey Jr. vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey Jr. or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey Jr. leads Jim Rice in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey Jr. or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey Jr., with 630 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey Jr., with .907 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Ken Griffey Jr.'s .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey Jr., with 2,781 to Jim Rice's 2,452.