Mark McGwire vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 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 Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Albert Pujols, with 703 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Mark McGwire's 44,531.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Mark McGwire's 1.
Mark McGwire
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 16 |
| Home Runs | 583 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,414 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | 1,317 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .374 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .544 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols leads Mark McGwire 58,591 to 44,531 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Albert Pujols played 23 seasons to Mark McGwire's 17, while Mark McGwire carries the higher per-season figure (2,620 to 2,547). 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
Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mark McGwire owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Albert Pujols. PIV agrees: Albert Pujols 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 Albert Pujols careers compare
Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols were active at the same time between 2001 and 2001. The table compares 1,874 games of Mark McGwire with 3,080 of Albert Pujols across 17 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Mark McGwire's edges on the table are on-base percentage (.394 to .374), slugging percentage (.588 to .544), and OPS (.982 to .918). At the plate, Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317), and Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols.
Mark McGwire vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Mark McGwire in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.