Mark McGwire Career Home Runs Total
Mark McGwire finished his MLB career with 583 home runs, ranking him among the top power hitters in league history. His career totals include 1,626 games, 1,357 walks, and a .263 batting average across 16 seasons. The 583 figure stands as his official career home run total in MLB records Baseball Reference.
McGwire reached the 500 home run milestone in 2004, becoming the fifth player in MLB history to do so at that time. His 583 total places him behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays in the all-time ranking. The number is recognized by MLB and the Elias Sports Bureau as his official career total.
McGwire Home Run Seasons and Peak Years
McGwire's highest single-season total was 70 home runs in 1998, a record that stood until Barry Bonds surpassed it in 2001. He also hit 65 home runs in 1999 and 52 in 1996, showing sustained elite power across multiple years. His 1998 and 1999 seasons are widely cited in discussions of the modern home run era Baseball Hall of Fame.
Over his career, McGwire averaged roughly 36 home runs per season, with seven seasons of 50 or more home runs. He led the American League in home runs seven times and the National League twice, demonstrating dominance in both leagues. His peak window from 1996 to 1999 produced 248 home runs in four seasons.
Teams, Teams, and Teams
McGwire hit his 583 career home runs while playing for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent his first 12 seasons with Oakland from 1986 to 1997, then moved to St. Louis for his final four seasons from 1997 to 2001. The Cardinals were the team he played for when he reached 500 home runs in 2004 Baseball Reference.
His home run production with the Cardinals was especially notable, as he hit 245 home runs in St. Louis compared to 338 in Oakland. McGwire's power surge in the late 1990s coincided with his move to the National League and the use of the home-heavy Busch Stadium. The split of his totals across both clubs is a key detail in any analysis of his career numbers Baseball Reference.