Mark McGwire vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Mark McGwire played 1986–2001 as a hitter; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Thome (1991–2012) — 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; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jim Thome's .956.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Thome, with .276 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Mark McGwire's 44,531.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Jim Thome's 0.
Mark McGwire
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Jim Thome. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | 583 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 1,414 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 1,317 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts | 1,596 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 19 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .276 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .554 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .956 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome leads Mark McGwire 51,664 to 44,531 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,067 vs 2,620 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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 Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mark McGwire owns OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Mark McGwire vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Mark McGwire in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Mark McGwire's 583.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Jim Thome's .956.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Thome, with .276 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.