Fred McGriff vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1980s. 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 leads the career comparison? Rafael Palmeiro, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred McGriff | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,460 | 2,831 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,757 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 1,960, across 20 seasons to 19. 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
Rafael Palmeiro leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Fred McGriff leads 2: on-base percentage and OPS. 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
How the Fred McGriff and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
The careers of Fred McGriff (1986–2004) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) overlapped from 1986 to 2004, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,460 games for Fred McGriff and 2,831 for Rafael Palmeiro across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Fred McGriff are on-base percentage (.377 to .371) and OPS (.886 to .885). At the plate, Fred McGriff struck out more than walked (1,882 to 1,305), while Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). In on-base percentage, Fred McGriff holds the edge, .377 to .371.
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 10 of the 12 scored 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.