Mark McGwire vs Dale Murphy: Career Stats Comparison
Dale Murphy 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 McGwire played 1986–2001 as a hitter; Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 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 McGwire (1986–2001) and Dale Murphy (1976–1993) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 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 Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dale Murphy, with .265 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Dale Murphy's 1,266.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Dale Murphy's 24,431.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Dale Murphy's 0.
Mark McGwire
Dale Murphy
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Dale Murphy. 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Dale Murphy |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,180 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 7,960 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,197 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,111 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 350 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 39 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 398 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,266 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 986 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,748 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 161 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .265 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Dale Murphy 44,531 to 24,431 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,286 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Dale Murphy'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).
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Dale Murphy 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 McGwire and Dale Murphy careers compare
The careers of Mark McGwire (1986–2001) and Dale Murphy (1976–1993) overlapped from 1986 to 1993, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 2,180 for Dale Murphy across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317); Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986). Mark McGwire is the more power-leaning hitter, with 583 of 1,626 hits leaving the park. Dale Murphy was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Dale Murphy's .469.
Mark McGwire vs Dale Murphy: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Dale Murphy?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dale Murphy leads Mark McGwire in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Dale Murphy hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Dale Murphy's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dale Murphy, with .265 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Dale Murphy, with 2,111 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.