Ken Griffey vs Mike Schmidt: 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 (1989–2010) and Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 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 Mike Schmidt's 548.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Mike Schmidt's 1,595.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
- Who won more championships? Mike Schmidt, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Griffey | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 408 |
| Triples | 38 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 548 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,312 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .538 | .527 |
| OPS | .907 | Leads: .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads Ken Griffey 49,630 to 43,975 — driven by per-season impact — 2,757 PIV per season to 1,912 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Schmidt played 18 seasons to Ken Griffey's 23. 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
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Schmidt owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey. Note that PIV actually grades Mike Schmidt ahead, which means Ken Griffey's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Griffey and Mike Schmidt careers compare
Ken Griffey and Mike Schmidt were active at the same time between 1989 and 1989. With 2,671 games against 2,404 across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Mike Schmidt are triples (59 to 38), walks (1,507 to 1,312), and on-base percentage (.380 to .370). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). On the bases, Mike Schmidt stole more often per game played (184 steals in 2,671 games for Ken Griffey, 174 in 2,404 for Mike Schmidt). In slugging percentage, Ken Griffey holds the edge, .538 to .527.
Ken Griffey vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Mike Schmidt in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Mike Schmidt's 548.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Schmidt, with .908 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.