Ernie Banks vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 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 Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ernie Banks, with .274 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks 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, and the 1950s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .274 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Ernie Banks 44,531 to 30,636 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,612 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Ernie Banks's 19. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks 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 Ernie Banks. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Ernie Banks's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Mark McGwire careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ernie Banks's ended in 1971, and Mark McGwire debuted in 1986. With 2,528 games against 1,874 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763); Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 512 of 2,583 for Ernie Banks, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Ernie Banks's .500. Mark McGwire owns the better peak by OPS: .980 OPS in 1958 for Ernie Banks against 1.222 OPS in 1998 for Mark McGwire.
Ernie Banks vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Ernie Banks's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ernie Banks, with .274 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.