Harold Baines vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Harold Baines played 1980–2001 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
Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 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 Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Mark McGwire. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 384 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 1,062 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 34 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Harold Baines 44,531 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Harold Baines's 27. 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).
Harold Baines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Mark McGwire owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harold Baines. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Harold Baines's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Mark McGwire careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) overlapped from 1986 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Harold Baines appeared in 2,830 games to Mark McGwire's 1,874. At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 384 of 2,866 for Harold Baines, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Harold Baines's .465.
Harold Baines vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Harold Baines's 384.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.