Mark McGwire vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Schmidt has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — 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; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 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 Schmidt's 548.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mike Schmidt's .908.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Schmidt, with .267 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Mike Schmidt, with 2,234 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mike Schmidt, with 1,595 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Schmidt, with 49,630 career PIV to Mark McGwire's 44,531.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Mark McGwire
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Mike Schmidt. 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 | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,404 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 8,352 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,506 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,234 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 408 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 548 |
| RBI | 1,414 | Leads: 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,317 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 174 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .527 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Schmidt leads Mark McGwire 49,630 to 44,531 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,757 PIV per season to 2,620, across 18 seasons to 17. 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 Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Schmidt 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 Mike Schmidt. PIV agrees: Mike Schmidt 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 Schmidt careers compare
From 1986 through 1989, Mark McGwire and Mike Schmidt were in the majors together. With 1,874 games against 2,404 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Mark McGwire are home runs (583 to 548), on-base percentage (.394 to .380), and slugging percentage (.588 to .527). Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317); Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 548 of 2,234 for Mike Schmidt.
Mark McGwire vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Schmidt leads Mark McGwire in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Mike Schmidt's 548.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mike Schmidt's .908.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Schmidt, with .267 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Mike Schmidt, with 2,234 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.