Dick Allen vs Willie McCovey: Career Stats Comparison
Willie McCovey has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Dick Allen played 1963–1977 as a hitter; Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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 Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Dick Allen finished with 1,848 hits and 351 home runs; Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Dick Allen's 351.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dick Allen, with .912 to Willie McCovey's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dick Allen, with .292 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Dick Allen's 1,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie McCovey, with 1,555 to Dick Allen's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Dick Allen's 40,487.
Dick Allen
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dick Allen and Willie McCovey. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Allen | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,749 | Leads: 2,588 |
| At-Bats | 6,332 | Leads: 8,197 |
| Runs | 1,099 | Leads: 1,229 |
| Hits | 1,848 | Leads: 2,211 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 353 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 46 |
| Home Runs | 351 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,119 | Leads: 1,555 |
| Walks | 894 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts | 1,556 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 133 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .270 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .374 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .912 | .889 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey leads Dick Allen 47,331 to 40,487 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,058 vs 2,699 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie McCovey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dick Allen owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie McCovey. PIV agrees: Willie McCovey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Dick Allen vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Allen or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie McCovey leads Dick Allen in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Dick Allen or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Dick Allen's 351.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dick Allen, with .912 to Willie McCovey's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dick Allen, with .292 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie McCovey, with 2,211 to Dick Allen's 1,848.