Mark McGwire vs Mike Piazza: Career Stats Comparison
Mark McGwire and Mike Piazza are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mark McGwire played 1986–2001 as a hitter; Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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 Mike Piazza (1992–2007) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 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 Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mike Piazza's .922.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Mike Piazza, with 2,127 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Mike Piazza's 30,988.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Mark McGwire
Mike Piazza
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Mike Piazza. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Mike Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 1,912 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 6,911 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,167 | 1,048 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,127 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 344 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 8 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 427 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,335 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,113 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 17 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .308 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .377 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .545 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .922 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Mike Piazza 44,531 to 30,988 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,722 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Mike Piazza's 18. 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
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Mike Piazza owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Mike Piazza careers compare
The careers of Mark McGwire (1986–2001) and Mike Piazza (1992–2007) overlapped from 1992 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 1,912 for Mike Piazza across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317); Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759). Mark McGwire is the more power-leaning hitter, with 583 of 1,626 hits leaving the park. In slugging percentage, Mark McGwire holds the edge, .588 to .545.
Mark McGwire vs Mike Piazza: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Mark McGwire or Mike Piazza hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mike Piazza's .922.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Mike Piazza, with 2,127 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.