Mark McGwire vs Dave Parker: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Parker 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). Mark McGwire played 1986–2001 as a hitter; Dave Parker played 1973–1991 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 Dave Parker (1973–1991) — 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; Dave Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 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 Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Parker, with .290 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Parker, with 1,493 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Dave Parker's 23,542.
- Who won more championships? Dave Parker, with 2 World Series titles to Mark McGwire's 1.
Mark McGwire
Dave Parker
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Dave Parker. 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 | Dave Parker |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,466 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 9,358 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,712 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 526 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 339 |
| RBI | 1,414 | Leads: 1,493 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,537 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .339 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Dave Parker 44,531 to 23,542 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,177 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Dave Parker's 20. 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
Dave Parker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Parker 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 Dave Parker. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Dave Parker's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mark McGwire and Dave Parker careers compare
The careers of Mark McGwire (1986–2001) and Dave Parker (1973–1991) overlapped from 1986 to 1991, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,874 games against 2,466 across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317); Dave Parker struck out more than walked (1,537 to 683). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 339 of 2,712 for Dave Parker. On the bases, Dave Parker stole more often per game played (12 steals in 1,874 games for Mark McGwire, 154 in 2,466 for Dave Parker).
Mark McGwire vs Dave Parker: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Dave Parker?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Parker leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Dave Parker hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Dave Parker's 339.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Dave Parker's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Parker, with .290 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Parker, with 2,712 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.