Fred McGriff vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Fred McGriff has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Fred McGriff played 1986–2004 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
Fred McGriff (1986–2004) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Fred McGriff finished with 2,490 hits and 493 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 Fred McGriff's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Fred McGriff's .886.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred McGriff, with .284 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred McGriff, with 1,550 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Fred McGriff's 37,233.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred McGriff and Mark McGwire. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred McGriff | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,460 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,757 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,349 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,490 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 441 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,550 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 1,305 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts | 1,882 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 72 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .284 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .377 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .886 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire leads Fred McGriff 44,531 to 37,233 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,620 vs 1,773 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Fred McGriff — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred McGriff 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 Fred McGriff. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Fred McGriff's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred McGriff vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred McGriff or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred McGriff leads Mark McGwire in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred McGriff or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Fred McGriff's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Fred McGriff's .886.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred McGriff, with .284 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.