Mark McGwire vs Tony Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez 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; Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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 Tony Perez (1964–1986) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 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 Tony Perez's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Perez, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Tony Perez's 28,896.
- Who won more championships? Tony Perez, with 2 World Series titles to Mark McGwire's 1.
Mark McGwire
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Tony Perez. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Tony Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,777 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 9,778 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,732 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 505 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 379 |
| RBI | 1,414 | Leads: 1,652 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 925 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,867 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 49 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .341 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Tony Perez 44,531 to 28,896 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,256 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Tony Perez's 23. 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
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Perez 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 Tony Perez. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Tony Perez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mark McGwire and Tony Perez careers compare
From 1986 through 1986, Mark McGwire and Tony Perez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 2,777 for Tony Perez across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317), and Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 379 of 2,732 for Tony Perez. Mark McGwire's on-base percentage of .394 tops Tony Perez's .341.
Mark McGwire vs Tony Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Tony Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Tony Perez hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Tony Perez's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Tony Perez's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Perez, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.