Mark McGwire vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Rice 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; Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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 Jim Rice (1974–1989) — 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; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 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 Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Jim Rice's 0.
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Jim Rice. 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 | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,089 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 8,225 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,249 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,452 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 373 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 382 |
| RBI | 1,414 | Leads: 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 58 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .502 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Jim Rice 44,531 to 31,418 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,620 PIV per season to 1,964, across 17 seasons to 16. 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
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Rice 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 Jim Rice. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Jim Rice's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mark McGwire and Jim Rice careers compare
Mark McGwire and Jim Rice were active at the same time between 1986 and 1989. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 2,089 for Jim Rice across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317); Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 382 of 2,452 for Jim Rice. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Jim Rice's .502.
Mark McGwire vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Rice leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jim Rice's .854.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.