Fred McGriff vs Matt Olson: Career Stats Comparison
Fred McGriff has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Fred McGriff played 1986–2004 as a hitter; Matt Olson has played 2016–present 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
Fred McGriff (1986–2004) and Matt Olson (2016–present) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred McGriff finished with 2,490 hits and 493 home runs; Matt Olson has 1,312 hits and 329 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Fred McGriff, with 493 to Matt Olson's 329.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred McGriff, with .886 to Matt Olson's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred McGriff, with .284 to Matt Olson's .256.
- Who had more hits? Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Matt Olson's 1,312.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred McGriff, with 1,550 to Matt Olson's 901.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred McGriff, with 37,233 career PIV to Matt Olson's 17,319.
- Who won more championships? Fred McGriff, with 1 World Series title to Matt Olson's 0.
Fred McGriff
Matt Olson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred McGriff and Matt Olson. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Matt Olson is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Fred McGriff | Matt Olson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,460 | 1,385 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,757 | 5,121 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,349 | 811 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,490 | 1,312 |
| Doubles | Leads: 441 | 284 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 7 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 329 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,550 | 901 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,305 | 677 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,882 | 1,409 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 72 | 13 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .256 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .377 | .347 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .509 | .507 |
| OPS | Leads: .886 | .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred McGriff outpaces Matt Olson 37,233 to 17,319 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,773 PIV per season to 1,732, across 21 seasons to 10. 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).
Fred McGriff — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Olson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred McGriff leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Olson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred McGriff. PIV agrees: Fred McGriff grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fred McGriff and Matt Olson careers compare
Fred McGriff (1986–2004) was finished before Matt Olson (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,460 games of Fred McGriff with 1,385 of Matt Olson across 21 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Fred McGriff. At the plate, Fred McGriff struck out more than walked (1,882 to 1,305), and Matt Olson struck out more than walked (1,409 to 677). Fred McGriff's slugging percentage of .509 tops Matt Olson's .507. Best seasons: 1994 for Fred McGriff (1.012 OPS, 34 HR, 94 RBI, .318 avg) and 2023 for Matt Olson (.993 OPS, 54 HR, 139 RBI, .283 avg). Matt Olson's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Fred McGriff vs Matt Olson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred McGriff or Matt Olson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred McGriff leads Matt Olson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred McGriff or Matt Olson hit more home runs?
- Fred McGriff, with 493 to Matt Olson's 329.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred McGriff, with .886 to Matt Olson's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred McGriff, with .284 to Matt Olson's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Matt Olson's 1,312.