Mark McGwire vs Darryl Strawberry: Career Stats Comparison
Mark McGwire 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; Darryl Strawberry played 1983–1999 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 Darryl Strawberry (1983–1999) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Darryl Strawberry finished with 1,401 hits and 335 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 Darryl Strawberry's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Darryl Strawberry's .862.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mark McGwire, with .263 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits? Mark McGwire, with 1,626 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,000.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Darryl Strawberry's 22,150.
- Who won more championships? Darryl Strawberry, with 4 World Series titles to Mark McGwire's 1.
Mark McGwire
Darryl Strawberry
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Darryl Strawberry. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Darryl Strawberry |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,874 | 1,583 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,187 | 5,418 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,167 | 898 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,626 | 1,401 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 256 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,000 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 816 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,352 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 221 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .263 | .259 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .862 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Darryl Strawberry 44,531 to 22,150 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 1,303 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Darryl Strawberry's 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
Darryl Strawberry — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Darryl Strawberry owns 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 Darryl Strawberry careers compare
The careers of Mark McGwire (1986–2001) and Darryl Strawberry (1983–1999) overlapped from 1986 to 1999, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 1,583 for Darryl Strawberry across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Darryl Strawberry are doubles (256 to 252), triples (38 to 6), and stolen bases (221 to 12). At the plate, Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317), and Darryl Strawberry struck out more than walked (1,352 to 816).
Mark McGwire vs Darryl Strawberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Darryl Strawberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark McGwire leads Darryl Strawberry in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Darryl Strawberry hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Darryl Strawberry's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Darryl Strawberry's .862.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mark McGwire, with .263 to Darryl Strawberry's .259.
- Who had more hits?
- Mark McGwire, with 1,626 to Darryl Strawberry's 1,401.