1989–2010 · CF

Ken Griffey

6' 3", 195 lbs·Lived to 57·Bats L / Throws L

Hall of Fame · 201610×Gold Glove7×Silver SluggerMVPAll-Star

The Almanac's Take

The Kid's swing was pure poetry, but the injuries tell a more complex story than his highlight reel suggests. Griffey lost nearly two full seasons to the disabled list during what should have been his peak years, transforming from a potential all-time great into merely an excellent player.

His 1994 campaign remains a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been — that .323 average and 1.076 OPS represented his career zenith before the strike shortened the season. The 630 career homers feel almost modest given his early trajectory, especially when you consider he hit 398 of them before his 31st birthday.

Ten Gold Gloves and that effortless center field defense made Griffey appointment television in the 1990s. His 118 career OPS+ reflects consistent excellence rather than sustained dominance, but few players have ever made baseball look more natural.

Career Highs

1.076

Best OPS · 1994

Most HR · 1998

147

Most RBI · 1997

.327

Best AVG · 1991

Career Arc · OPS

22 seasons

Statistical Comps

Shohei Ohtani

99%

2024 season

ISO .336 · K% 22.3 · BB% 11.1 · HR% 7.4

Jorge Polanco

99%

2025 season

ISO .229 · K% 15.7 · BB% 8.1 · HR% 5.0

Corey Seager

99%

2024 season

ISO .234 · K% 18.0 · BB% 9.9 · HR% 5.6

Career · Batting

22 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1989	SEA	127	455	16	61	.264	.748	108
1990	SEA	155	597	22	80	.300	.847	119
1991	SEA	154	548	22	100	.327	.926	131
1992	SEA	142	565	27	103	.308	.896	128
1993	SEA	156	582	45	109	.309	1.025	139
1994	SEA	111	433	40	90	.323	1.076	141
1995	SEA	72	260	17	42	.258	.860	114
1996	SEA	140	545	49	140	.303	1.020	133
1997	SEA	157	608	56	147	.304	1.028	136
1998	SEA	161	633	56	146	.284	.977	129
1999	SEA	160	606	48	134	.285	.960	123
2000	CIN	145	520	40	118	.271	.942	120
2001	CIN	111	364	22	65	.286	.898	118
2002	CIN	70	197	8	23	.264	.784	105
2003	CIN	53	166	13	26	.247	.936	124
2004	CIN	83	300	20	60	.253	.864	113
2005	CIN	128	491	35	92	.301	.946	126
2006	CIN	109	428	27	72	.252	.802	104
2007	CIN	144	528	30	93	.277	.869	115
2008	CIN	143	490	18	71	.249	.778	104
2009	SEA	117	387	19	57	.214	.735	98
2010	SEA	33	98	0	7	.184	.454	62
Career		2671	9801	630	1836	.284	—	—

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