Ken Griffey vs Jim Thome: 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; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — 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; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 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 Jim Thome's 612.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Jim Thome's 2,328.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Jim Thome's 1,699.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
Ken Griffey
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey and Jim Thome. 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 | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 2,543 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 8,422 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,583 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 2,328 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 26 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 612 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,699 |
| Walks | 1,312 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .538 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .907 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome leads Ken Griffey 51,664 to 43,975 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,067 PIV per season to 1,912, across 25 seasons to 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome careers compare
Ken Griffey and Jim Thome were active at the same time between 1991 and 2010. With 2,671 games against 2,543 across 23 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jim Thome's edges on the table are walks (1,747 to 1,312), on-base percentage (.402 to .370), and slugging percentage (.554 to .538). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Ken Griffey was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Jim Thome holds the edge, .402 to .370.
Ken Griffey vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Jim Thome in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Jim Thome's 612.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Jim Thome's 2,328.