Ken Griffey vs Tim Salmon: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Tim Salmon played 1992–2006 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 Tim Salmon (1992–2006) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Tim Salmon finished with 1,674 hits and 299 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 Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Griffey, with .907 to Tim Salmon's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Tim Salmon's .282.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Tim Salmon's 1,016.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Griffey, with 43,975 career PIV to Tim Salmon's 22,790.
- Who won more championships? Tim Salmon, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Tim Salmon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Tim Salmon. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Tim Salmon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,672 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 5,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 986 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,674 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 339 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 299 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,016 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,312 | 970 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,360 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 48 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .385 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .498 |
| OPS | Leads: .907 | .884 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Griffey outpaces Tim Salmon 43,975 to 22,790 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,912 PIV per season to 1,628, across 23 seasons to 14. 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
Tim Salmon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Salmon owns 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 Tim Salmon careers compare
Ken Griffey and Tim Salmon were active at the same time between 1992 and 2006. Ken Griffey has the far longer record, 2,671 games against 1,672 across 23 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Tim Salmon are on-base percentage (.385 to .370). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Tim Salmon struck out more than walked (1,360 to 970). Ken Griffey was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Ken Griffey's slugging percentage of .538 tops Tim Salmon's .498.
Ken Griffey vs Tim Salmon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Tim Salmon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Tim Salmon in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Tim Salmon hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Tim Salmon's 299.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Griffey, with .907 to Tim Salmon's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Tim Salmon's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Tim Salmon's 1,674.