Paul Goldschmidt vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Goldschmidt 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). Paul Goldschmidt has played 2011–present 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
Paul Goldschmidt (2011–present) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Paul Goldschmidt has 2,277 hits and 390 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 Paul Goldschmidt's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Paul Goldschmidt's .877.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Goldschmidt, with .286 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Paul Goldschmidt, with 2,277 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Paul Goldschmidt's 1,284.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Paul Goldschmidt's 35,401.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Paul Goldschmidt's 0.
Paul Goldschmidt
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Goldschmidt 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 2010s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Goldschmidt is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Goldschmidt | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,179 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,953 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,324 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,277 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 490 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 25 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 390 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 1,284 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | 1,115 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,065 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 175 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .286 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .375 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .501 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .877 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire leads Paul Goldschmidt 44,531 to 35,401 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,620 PIV per season to 2,360, 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).
Paul Goldschmidt — 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, OBP, and OPS, while Paul Goldschmidt owns hits, runs, 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 Paul Goldschmidt and Mark McGwire careers compare
No season is shared: Mark McGwire played 1986–2001, Paul Goldschmidt 2011–present. The two careers are close in length, 2,179 games for Paul Goldschmidt and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Paul Goldschmidt struck out more than walked (2,065 to 1,115), 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: 390 of 2,277 for Paul Goldschmidt, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire. Paul Goldschmidt was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Mark McGwire holds the edge, .394 to .375. Paul Goldschmidt's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Paul Goldschmidt vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Goldschmidt or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Goldschmidt leads Mark McGwire in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Paul Goldschmidt or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Paul Goldschmidt's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Paul Goldschmidt's .877.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with .286 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Goldschmidt, with 2,277 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.