Miguel Cabrera vs Brian McCann: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera 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). Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 as a hitter; Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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
Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Brian McCann (2005–2019) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Miguel Cabrera
Brian McCann
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Brian McCann. 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 | Miguel Cabrera | Brian McCann |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 1,755 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 6,067 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 742 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 1,590 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 294 |
| Triples | Leads: 17 | 5 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 282 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,018 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 640 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,054 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 25 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .337 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .789 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Brian McCann 49,680 to 9,133 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 609, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Brian McCann — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brian McCann owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Miguel Cabrera. PIV agrees: Miguel Cabrera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Miguel Cabrera and Brian McCann careers compare
From 2005 through 2019, Miguel Cabrera and Brian McCann were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Miguel Cabrera appeared in 2,797 games to Brian McCann's 1,755. Miguel Cabrera leads every scored row of the table. Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258); Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640). Miguel Cabrera's slugging percentage of .518 tops Brian McCann's .452. Miguel Cabrera owns the better peak by OPS: 1.078 OPS in 2013 for Miguel Cabrera against .961 OPS in 2006 for Brian McCann.
Miguel Cabrera vs Brian McCann: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Brian McCann?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Brian McCann in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Brian McCann hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Brian McCann's 1,590.