Fred McGriff vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Fred McGriff played 1986–2004 as a hitter; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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 Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Fred McGriff finished with 2,490 hits and 493 home runs; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Fred McGriff's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred McGriff, with .886 to Rafael Palmeiro's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Fred McGriff's .284.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Fred McGriff's 2,490.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Fred McGriff's 1,550.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Fred McGriff's 37,233.
- Who won more championships? Fred McGriff, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Fred McGriff
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred McGriff and Rafael Palmeiro. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred McGriff | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,460 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 8,757 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 1,349 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 2,490 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 441 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,550 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 1,305 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts | 1,882 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 72 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | .284 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .377 | .371 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .886 | .885 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro leads Fred McGriff 42,814 to 37,233 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,141 vs 1,773 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred McGriff owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred McGriff vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred McGriff or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Fred McGriff in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred McGriff or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Fred McGriff's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred McGriff, with .886 to Rafael Palmeiro's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Fred McGriff's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Fred McGriff's 2,490.