Dick Allen vs Graig Nettles: Career Stats Comparison
Graig Nettles has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 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 Graig Nettles (1967–1988) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Dick Allen finished with 1,848 hits and 351 home runs; Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Graig Nettles, with 390 to Dick Allen's 351.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dick Allen, with .912 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dick Allen, with .292 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to Dick Allen's 1,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Graig Nettles, with 1,314 to Dick Allen's 1,119.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dick Allen, with 40,487 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Dick Allen's 0.
Dick Allen
Graig Nettles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dick Allen and Graig Nettles. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dick Allen | Graig Nettles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,749 | Leads: 2,700 |
| At-Bats | 6,332 | Leads: 8,986 |
| Runs | 1,099 | Leads: 1,193 |
| Hits | 1,848 | Leads: 2,225 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 328 |
| Triples | Leads: 79 | 28 |
| Home Runs | 351 | Leads: 390 |
| RBI | 1,119 | Leads: 1,314 |
| Walks | 894 | Leads: 1,088 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,556 | 1,209 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 133 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .248 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .329 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .534 | .421 |
| OPS | Leads: .912 | .750 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dick Allen outpaces Graig Nettles 40,487 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 2,699 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since Dick Allen played 15 seasons to Graig Nettles's 22. 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
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dick Allen leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Graig Nettles owns hits, home runs, and RBI. 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 Graig Nettles careers compare
The careers of Dick Allen (1963–1977) and Graig Nettles (1967–1988) overlapped from 1967 to 1977, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,749 games of Dick Allen with 2,700 of Graig Nettles across 15 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Dick Allen struck out more than walked (1,556 to 894), and Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088). Dick Allen was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Dick Allen's slugging percentage of .534 tops Graig Nettles's .421.
Dick Allen vs Graig Nettles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dick Allen or Graig Nettles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Graig Nettles leads Dick Allen in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Dick Allen or Graig Nettles hit more home runs?
- Graig Nettles, with 390 to Dick Allen's 351.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dick Allen, with .912 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dick Allen, with .292 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to Dick Allen's 1,848.