Nomar Garciaparra vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Mark McGwire 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). Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 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
Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 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 Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Nomar Garciaparra's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Nomar Garciaparra
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nomar Garciaparra 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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Nomar Garciaparra | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,434 | Leads: 1,874 |
| At-Bats | 5,586 | Leads: 6,187 |
| Runs | 927 | Leads: 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,747 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 370 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 52 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 229 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 936 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | 403 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 554 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .521 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .882 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Nomar Garciaparra 44,531 to 17,414 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,620 PIV per season to 1,161, across 17 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).
Nomar Garciaparra — 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 Nomar Garciaparra 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 Nomar Garciaparra and Mark McGwire careers compare
Nomar Garciaparra and Mark McGwire were active at the same time between 1996 and 2001. The two careers are close in length, 1,434 games for Nomar Garciaparra and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403), and Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 229 of 1,747 for Nomar Garciaparra, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Nomar Garciaparra's .521.
Nomar Garciaparra vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nomar Garciaparra or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark McGwire leads Nomar Garciaparra in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nomar Garciaparra or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Nomar Garciaparra's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with 1,747 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.