Dick Allen vs Don Mattingly: Career Stats Comparison
Dick Allen has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dick Allen played 1963–1977 as a hitter; Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 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
Dick Allen (1963–1977) and Don Mattingly (1982–1995) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dick Allen finished with 1,848 hits and 351 home runs; Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dick Allen, with 351 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dick Allen, with .912 to Don Mattingly's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Dick Allen's .292.
- Who had more hits? Don Mattingly, with 2,153 to Dick Allen's 1,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Dick Allen, with 1,119 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dick Allen, with 40,487 career PIV to Don Mattingly's 21,189.
Dick Allen
Don Mattingly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dick Allen and Don Mattingly. 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 1960s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Allen | Don Mattingly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,749 | Leads: 1,785 |
| At-Bats | 6,332 | Leads: 7,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,099 | 1,007 |
| Hits | 1,848 | Leads: 2,153 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 442 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 20 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 351 | 222 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,119 | 1,099 |
| Walks | Leads: 894 | 588 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,556 | 444 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 133 | 14 |
| Batting Avg | .292 | Leads: .307 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .912 | .830 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dick Allen outpaces Don Mattingly 40,487 to 21,189 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,699 PIV per season to 1,514, across 15 seasons to 14. 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).
Dick Allen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Don Mattingly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dick Allen leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Don Mattingly owns hits and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dick Allen. PIV agrees: Dick Allen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dick Allen and Don Mattingly careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Dick Allen's ended in 1977, and Don Mattingly debuted in 1982. The two careers are close in length, 1,749 games for Dick Allen and 1,785 for Don Mattingly across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Dick Allen struck out more than walked (1,556 to 894), but Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Dick Allen's hits: 351 of 1,848 for Dick Allen, 222 of 2,153 for Don Mattingly. Dick Allen was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Dick Allen vs Don Mattingly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Allen or Don Mattingly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dick Allen leads Don Mattingly in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dick Allen or Don Mattingly hit more home runs?
- Dick Allen, with 351 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dick Allen, with .912 to Don Mattingly's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Don Mattingly, with .307 to Dick Allen's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Don Mattingly, with 2,153 to Dick Allen's 1,848.