Jeff Bagwell vs Joe Mauer: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Bagwell has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jeff Bagwell played 1991–2005 as a hitter; Joe Mauer played 2004–2018 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
Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Joe Mauer (2004–2018) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jeff Bagwell finished with 2,314 hits and 449 home runs; Joe Mauer finished with 2,123 hits and 143 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Mauer, with .306 to Jeff Bagwell's .297.
- Who had more hits? Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Joe Mauer's 2,123.
- Who drove in more runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 1,529 to Joe Mauer's 923.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jeff Bagwell, with 47,120 career PIV to Joe Mauer's 20,061.
Jeff Bagwell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Bagwell and Joe Mauer. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jeff Bagwell | Joe Mauer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,150 | 1,858 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,797 | 6,930 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,517 | 1,018 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,314 | 2,123 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 428 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 30 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 449 | 143 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,529 | 923 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,401 | 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,558 | 1,034 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 202 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .408 | .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .540 | .439 |
| OPS | Leads: .948 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Bagwell outpaces Joe Mauer 47,120 to 20,061 — driven by per-season impact — 3,141 PIV per season to 1,337 — rather than by longevity, since Jeff Bagwell played 15 seasons to Joe Mauer's 15. 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).
Jeff Bagwell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Mauer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Bagwell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Mauer owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Bagwell. PIV agrees: Jeff Bagwell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jeff Bagwell and Joe Mauer careers compare
The careers of Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Joe Mauer (2004–2018) overlapped from 2004 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,150 games against 1,858 across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Joe Mauer's edges on the table are batting average (.306 to .297). At the plate, Jeff Bagwell struck out more than walked (1,558 to 1,401), and Joe Mauer struck out more than walked (1,034 to 939). Home runs make up a larger share of Jeff Bagwell's hits: 449 of 2,314 for Jeff Bagwell, 143 of 2,123 for Joe Mauer.
Jeff Bagwell vs Joe Mauer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Bagwell or Joe Mauer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Bagwell leads Joe Mauer in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jeff Bagwell or Joe Mauer hit more home runs?
- Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Joe Mauer's 143.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Joe Mauer's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Mauer, with .306 to Jeff Bagwell's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Joe Mauer's 2,123.