Barry Bonds vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Bonds has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Barry Bonds played 1986–2007 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
Barry Bonds (1986–2007) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Barry Bonds finished with 2,935 hits and 762 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? Barry Bonds, with 762 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Mark McGwire's .982.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Bonds, with .298 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Mark McGwire's 44,531.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Barry Bonds's 0.
Barry Bonds
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds 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 | Barry Bonds | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,986 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,847 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,227 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,935 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 601 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 77 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 762 | 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,996 | 1,414 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,558 | 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,539 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 514 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .263 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .444 | .394 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .607 | .588 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.051 | .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds outpaces Mark McGwire 96,025 to 44,531 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,365 PIV per season to 2,620, across 22 seasons to 17. 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).
Barry Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mark McGwire owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Bonds. PIV agrees: Barry Bonds grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire careers compare
From 1986 through 2001, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire were in the majors together. The table compares 2,986 games of Barry Bonds with 1,874 of Mark McGwire across 22 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Barry Bonds leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts), while Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Mark McGwire is the more power-leaning hitter, with 583 of 1,626 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Barry Bonds stole more often per game played (514 steals in 2,986 games for Barry Bonds, 12 in 1,874 for Mark McGwire).
Barry Bonds vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Bonds leads Mark McGwire in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Mark McGwire's .982.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Bonds, with .298 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Barry Bonds, with 2,935 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.