Jeff Kent vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Kent has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jeff Kent played 1992–2008 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
Jeff Kent (1992–2008) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jeff Kent finished with 2,461 hits and 377 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 Jeff Kent's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jeff Kent's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jeff Kent, with .290 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Jeff Kent, with 2,461 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Jeff Kent, with 1,518 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Jeff Kent's 22,166.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Jeff Kent
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Kent 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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jeff Kent | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,298 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,498 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,320 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,461 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 560 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 377 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,518 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 801 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,522 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 94 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .855 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Jeff Kent 44,531 to 22,166 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,167 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Jeff Kent's 19. 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).
Jeff Kent — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Kent leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Mark McGwire owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Kent. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Jeff Kent's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jeff Kent and Mark McGwire careers compare
The careers of Jeff Kent (1992–2008) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) overlapped from 1992 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,298 games for Jeff Kent and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jeff Kent struck out more than walked (1,522 to 801); Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 377 of 2,461 for Jeff Kent, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire. In slugging percentage, Mark McGwire holds the edge, .588 to .500.
Jeff Kent vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Kent or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Kent leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jeff Kent or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Jeff Kent's 377.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jeff Kent's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jeff Kent, with .290 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Jeff Kent, with 2,461 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.