Jeff Bagwell vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Bagwell has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Jeff Bagwell played 1991–2005 as a hitter; Mark McGwire played 1986–2001 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 Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jeff Bagwell finished with 2,314 hits and 449 home runs; Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mark McGwire, with 583 to Jeff Bagwell's 449.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jeff Bagwell's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jeff Bagwell, with .297 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 1,529 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jeff Bagwell, with 47,120 career PIV to Mark McGwire's 44,531.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Jeff Bagwell's 0.
Jeff Bagwell
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Bagwell and Mark McGwire. 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 | Jeff Bagwell | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,150 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,797 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,517 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,314 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 449 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,529 | 1,414 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,401 | 1,317 |
| Strikeouts | 1,558 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 202 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .263 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .408 | .394 |
| Slugging % | .540 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .948 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Bagwell edges Mark McGwire 47,120 to 44,531 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,141 vs 2,620 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).
Jeff Bagwell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Bagwell leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Mark McGwire owns home runs and OPS. 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
Jeff Bagwell vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Bagwell or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Bagwell leads Mark McGwire in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Jeff Bagwell or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Jeff Bagwell's 449.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jeff Bagwell's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .297 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Jeff Bagwell, with 2,314 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.