Ken Griffey vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Griffey has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Griffey played 1989–2010 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
Ken Griffey (1989–2010) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Griffey finished with 2,781 hits and 630 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? Ken Griffey, with 630 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Griffey, with .284 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Ken Griffey, with 1,836 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Ken Griffey's 43,975.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Ken Griffey's 0.
Ken Griffey
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Griffey 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 | Ken Griffey | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,671 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,801 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,662 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,781 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 524 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 630 | 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,836 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 1,312 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,779 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 184 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .538 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .907 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire edges Ken Griffey 44,531 to 43,975 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,912 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Ken Griffey's 23. 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).
Ken Griffey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Griffey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mark McGwire owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Griffey. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Ken Griffey's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Griffey and Mark McGwire careers compare
Ken Griffey and Mark McGwire were active at the same time between 1989 and 2001. The two careers are close in length, 2,671 games for Ken Griffey and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 23 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Mark McGwire are walks (1,317 to 1,312), on-base percentage (.394 to .370), and slugging percentage (.588 to .538). Ken Griffey struck out more than walked (1,779 to 1,312); Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 630 of 2,781 for Ken Griffey, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire.
Ken Griffey vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Griffey or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ken Griffey leads Mark McGwire in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Griffey or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Ken Griffey, with 630 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Ken Griffey's .907.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Griffey, with .284 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Ken Griffey, with 2,781 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.