Rickey Henderson vs Greg Vaughn: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson 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). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Greg Vaughn played 1989–2003 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Greg Vaughn (1989–2003) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Greg Vaughn finished with 1,475 hits and 355 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Greg Vaughn, with 355 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Greg Vaughn's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Greg Vaughn's .242.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Greg Vaughn's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Greg Vaughn's 1,072.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Greg Vaughn's 10,473.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Greg Vaughn's 0.
Rickey Henderson
Greg Vaughn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Greg Vaughn. 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Greg Vaughn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,731 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 6,103 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,017 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 1,475 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 284 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 23 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 355 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 1,072 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 865 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,513 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 121 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .242 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .337 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .470 |
| OPS | Leads: .820 | .807 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Greg Vaughn 37,642 to 10,473 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 655, across 29 seasons to 16. 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).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Greg Vaughn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Greg Vaughn owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. PIV agrees: Rickey Henderson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rickey Henderson and Greg Vaughn careers compare
Rickey Henderson and Greg Vaughn were active at the same time between 1989 and 2003. The table compares 3,081 games of Rickey Henderson with 1,731 of Greg Vaughn across 29 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Greg Vaughn's edges on the table are home runs (355 to 297) and slugging percentage (.470 to .419). Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), but Greg Vaughn struck out more than walked (1,513 to 865). Greg Vaughn is the more power-leaning hitter, with 355 of 1,475 hits leaving the park. Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Rickey Henderson vs Greg Vaughn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Greg Vaughn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Greg Vaughn in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Greg Vaughn hit more home runs?
- Greg Vaughn, with 355 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Greg Vaughn's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Greg Vaughn's .242.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Greg Vaughn's 1,475.