Mark McGwire vs Miguel Tejada: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Tejada 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; Miguel Tejada played 1997–2013 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 Miguel Tejada (1997–2013) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Miguel Tejada finished with 2,407 hits and 307 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 Miguel Tejada's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Miguel Tejada's .791.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Tejada, with .285 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Tejada, with 2,407 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Miguel Tejada's 1,302.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Miguel Tejada's 8,602.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Miguel Tejada's 0.
Mark McGwire
Miguel Tejada
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Miguel Tejada. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Miguel Tejada |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,171 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 8,434 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,230 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,407 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 468 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 23 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 307 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,302 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 553 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,079 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 85 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .336 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .456 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .791 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Miguel Tejada 44,531 to 8,602 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 506 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Miguel Tejada'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
Miguel Tejada — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Miguel Tejada 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 Miguel Tejada careers compare
From 1997 through 2001, Mark McGwire and Miguel Tejada were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 2,171 for Miguel Tejada across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317), and Miguel Tejada struck out more than walked (1,079 to 553). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 307 of 2,407 for Miguel Tejada. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Miguel Tejada's .456.
Mark McGwire vs Miguel Tejada: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Miguel Tejada?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Tejada leads Mark McGwire in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Miguel Tejada hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Miguel Tejada's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Miguel Tejada's .791.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Tejada, with .285 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Tejada, with 2,407 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.