Mark McGwire vs Mo Vaughn: Career Stats Comparison
Mark McGwire 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; Mo Vaughn played 1991–2003 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 Mo Vaughn (1991–2003) — 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; Mo Vaughn finished with 1,620 hits and 328 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 Mo Vaughn's 328.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mo Vaughn's .906.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mo Vaughn, with .293 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Mark McGwire, with 1,626 to Mo Vaughn's 1,620.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Mo Vaughn's 1,064.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Mo Vaughn's 24,784.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Mo Vaughn's 0.
Mark McGwire
Mo Vaughn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Mo Vaughn. 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 | Mo Vaughn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,874 | 1,512 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,187 | 5,532 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,167 | 861 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,626 | 1,620 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 270 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 328 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,064 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,317 | 725 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,429 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 30 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .293 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .394 | .383 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .523 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .906 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Mo Vaughn 44,531 to 24,784 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,620 PIV per season to 2,065, across 17 seasons to 12. 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
Mo Vaughn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mo Vaughn owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Mo Vaughn careers compare
From 1991 through 2001, Mark McGwire and Mo Vaughn were in the majors together. With 1,874 games against 1,512 across 17 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Mo Vaughn comes out ahead, it is in doubles (270 to 252), triples (10 to 6), and stolen bases (30 to 12). At the plate, Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317), and Mo Vaughn struck out more than walked (1,429 to 725). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 328 of 1,620 for Mo Vaughn. Mark McGwire's on-base percentage of .394 tops Mo Vaughn's .383.
Mark McGwire vs Mo Vaughn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Mo Vaughn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark McGwire leads Mo Vaughn in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Mo Vaughn hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Mo Vaughn's 328.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Mo Vaughn's .906.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mo Vaughn, with .293 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Mark McGwire, with 1,626 to Mo Vaughn's 1,620.