Gary Carter vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Mark McGwire has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gary Carter played 1974–1992 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
Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 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 Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mark McGwire, with .263 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Gary Carter's 1,225.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter 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 | Gary Carter | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 6,187 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 31 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 1,225 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .263 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Gary Carter 44,531 to 14,141 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 744 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Gary Carter'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).
Gary Carter — 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 batting average, while Gary Carter owns hits and stolen bases. 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 Gary Carter and Mark McGwire careers compare
From 1986 through 1992, Gary Carter and Mark McGwire were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848), and 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. Mark McGwire owns the better peak by OPS: .890 OPS in 1982 for Gary Carter against 1.222 OPS in 1998 for Mark McGwire.
Gary Carter vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark McGwire leads Gary Carter in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mark McGwire, with .263 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.