Rickey Henderson vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson 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). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 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 Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Mark McGwire's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson 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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .263 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .394 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire leads Rickey Henderson 44,531 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. 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).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Mark McGwire owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Rickey Henderson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rickey Henderson and Mark McGwire careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) overlapped from 1986 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Rickey Henderson has the far longer record, 3,081 games against 1,874 across 29 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Mark McGwire comes out ahead, it is in home runs (583 to 297), RBI (1,414 to 1,115), and slugging percentage (.588 to .419). Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), but Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317).
Rickey Henderson vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Mark McGwire in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.