Lou Gehrig vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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 Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Mark McGwire's .982.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Mark McGwire's 44,531.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Mark McGwire's 1.
Lou Gehrig
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 1920s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,164 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,001 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,414 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .263 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .394 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .588 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Mark McGwire 81,072 to 44,531 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 2,620 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Mark McGwire's 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).
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Mark McGwire owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Gehrig and Mark McGwire careers compare
No season is shared: Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939, Mark McGwire 1986–2001. The two careers are close in length, 2,164 games for Lou Gehrig and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mark McGwire's edges on the table are home runs (583 to 493). At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 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: 493 of 2,721 for Lou Gehrig, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire.
Lou Gehrig vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Mark McGwire in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Mark McGwire's .982.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.