Mark McGwire vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
Joey Votto 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; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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 Joey Votto (2007–2023) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 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 Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joey Votto, with .294 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Joey Votto's 43,852.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Joey Votto's 0.
Mark McGwire
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mark McGwire and Joey Votto. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mark McGwire | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,874 | Leads: 2,056 |
| At-Bats | 6,187 | Leads: 7,252 |
| Runs | 1,167 | Leads: 1,171 |
| Hits | 1,626 | Leads: 2,135 |
| Doubles | 252 | Leads: 459 |
| Triples | 6 | Leads: 22 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 583 | 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,414 | 1,144 |
| Walks | 1,317 | Leads: 1,365 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,596 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 80 |
| Batting Avg | .263 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | .394 | Leads: .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .588 | .511 |
| OPS | Leads: .982 | .920 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire edges Joey Votto 44,531 to 43,852 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 2,580 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 seasons to Joey Votto'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
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joey Votto leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Mark McGwire owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joey Votto. Note that PIV actually grades Mark McGwire ahead, which means Joey Votto's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mark McGwire and Joey Votto careers compare
Mark McGwire (1986–2001) was finished before Joey Votto (2007–2023) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,874 games for Mark McGwire and 2,056 for Joey Votto across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mark McGwire's edges on the table are home runs (583 to 356), RBI (1,414 to 1,144), and slugging percentage (.588 to .511). Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317); Joey Votto struck out more than walked (1,640 to 1,365). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire, 356 of 2,135 for Joey Votto.
Mark McGwire vs Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark McGwire or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joey Votto leads Mark McGwire in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mark McGwire or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Joey Votto's .920.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joey Votto, with .294 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Joey Votto, with 2,135 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.