Mark Grace vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Mark Grace 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). Mark Grace played 1988–2003 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
Mark Grace (1988–2003) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Mark Grace finished with 2,445 hits and 173 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 Mark Grace's 173.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mark Grace's .825.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mark Grace, with .303 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Mark Grace, with 2,445 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Mark Grace's 1,146.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Mark Grace's 21,759.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Mark Grace
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark Grace 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark Grace | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,245 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,065 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,179 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,445 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 511 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 45 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 173 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 1,146 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | 1,075 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 642 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 70 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .383 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .442 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .825 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Mark Grace 44,531 to 21,759 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,620 PIV per season to 1,360, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Mark Grace — 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 Mark Grace 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 Mark Grace and Mark McGwire careers compare
Mark Grace and Mark McGwire were active at the same time between 1988 and 2001. With 2,245 games against 1,874 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Mark Grace walked more often than struck out (1,075 walks, 642 strikeouts), while 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. In on-base percentage, Mark McGwire holds the edge, .394 to .383. Mark McGwire owns the better peak by OPS: .911 OPS in 1995 for Mark Grace against 1.222 OPS in 1998 for Mark McGwire.
Mark Grace vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark Grace or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark Grace leads Mark McGwire in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark Grace or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Mark Grace's 173.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mark Grace's .825.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mark Grace, with .303 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Mark Grace, with 2,445 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.