Hank Aaron vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Dave Winfield played 1973–1995 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 Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — 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; Dave Winfield finished with 3,110 hits and 465 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 Dave Winfield's 465.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Dave Winfield's 3,110.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Dave Winfield's 1,833.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Dave Winfield. 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 | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,973 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 11,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,669 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,110 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 540 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 88 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 465 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Dave Winfield 78,640 to 34,842 — driven by per-season impact — 3,419 PIV per season to 1,515 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Aaron played 23 seasons to Dave Winfield's 23. 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
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dave Winfield owns no headline categories. 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 Dave Winfield careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) overlapped from 1973 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,298 games against 2,973 across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Hank Aaron. Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Home runs make up a larger share of Hank Aaron's hits: 755 of 3,771 for Hank Aaron, 465 of 3,110 for Dave Winfield. Dave Winfield was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Hank Aaron vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Dave Winfield in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Dave Winfield's 465.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Dave Winfield's 3,110.