Buddy Bell vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Buddy Bell and Mark McGwire are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Buddy Bell played 1972–1989 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
Buddy Bell (1972–1989) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Buddy Bell finished with 2,514 hits and 201 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 Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buddy Bell, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Buddy Bell's 1,106.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Buddy Bell's 10,176.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Buddy Bell's 0.
Buddy Bell
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buddy Bell 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Buddy Bell | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,405 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,995 | 6,187 |
| Runs | 1,151 | Leads: 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,514 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 425 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 56 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 201 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 1,106 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | 836 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 776 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 55 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .341 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .406 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Buddy Bell 44,531 to 10,176 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 509 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Buddy Bell's 20. 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).
Buddy Bell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Buddy Bell owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mark McGwire. PIV agrees: Mark McGwire grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Buddy Bell and Mark McGwire careers compare
From 1986 through 1989, Buddy Bell and Mark McGwire were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,405 games for Buddy Bell and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Buddy Bell walked more often than struck out (836 walks, 776 strikeouts), while Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 201 of 2,514 for Buddy Bell, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire.
Buddy Bell vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Buddy Bell or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Buddy Bell's 201.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Buddy Bell's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buddy Bell, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Buddy Bell, with 2,514 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.