Mark McGwire vs George Sisler: Career Stats Comparison
George Sisler has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; George Sisler played 1915–1930 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 George Sisler (1915–1930) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; George Sisler finished with 2,812 hits and 102 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 George Sisler's 102.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to George Sisler's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Sisler, with .340 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? George Sisler, with 2,812 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to George Sisler's 1,175.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to George Sisler's 29,261.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to George Sisler's 0.
Mark McGwire
George Sisler
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and George Sisler. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | George Sisler |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,055 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 8,267 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,284 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,812 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 425 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 164 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 102 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,175 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 472 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 327 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 375 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .340 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .468 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces George Sisler 44,531 to 29,261 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,620 PIV per season to 1,829, 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
George Sisler — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while George Sisler owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. 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 George Sisler careers compare
No season is shared: George Sisler played 1915–1930, Mark McGwire 1986–2001. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 2,055 for George Sisler across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317), but George Sisler walked more often than struck out (472 walks, 327 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 102 of 2,812 for George Sisler.
Mark McGwire vs George Sisler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or George Sisler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Sisler leads Mark McGwire in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or George Sisler hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to George Sisler's 102.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to George Sisler's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Sisler, with .340 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- George Sisler, with 2,812 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.