Hank Aaron vs Andre Dawson: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Andre Dawson played 1976–1996 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Andre Dawson (1976–1996) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Andre Dawson's 1,591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
- Who won more championships? Hank Aaron, with 1 World Series title to Andre Dawson's 0.
Hank Aaron
Andre Dawson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Andre Dawson. 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 1950s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Andre Dawson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,627 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 9,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,373 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,774 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 503 |
| Triples | 98 | 98 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 438 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,591 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 589 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,509 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 314 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .323 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .482 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .806 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Andre Dawson 78,640 to 20,948 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 998, across 23 seasons to 21. 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Andre Dawson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Andre Dawson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Andre Dawson careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Andre Dawson (1976–1996) overlapped from 1976 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,298 games against 2,627 across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Andre Dawson are stolen bases (314 to 240). Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Hank Aaron holds the edge, .374 to .323.
Hank Aaron vs Andre Dawson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Andre Dawson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Andre Dawson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Andre Dawson hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.