Johnny Bench vs Andre Dawson: Career Stats Comparison
Andre Dawson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Johnny Bench played 1967–1983 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
Johnny Bench (1967–1983) and Andre Dawson (1976–1996) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Bench finished with 2,048 hits and 389 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? Andre Dawson, with 438 to Johnny Bench's 389.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Bench, with .817 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andre Dawson, with .279 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Johnny Bench's 1,376.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Bench, with 25,321 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Bench, with 2 World Series titles to Andre Dawson's 0.
Johnny Bench
Andre Dawson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | Andre Dawson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,158 | Leads: 2,627 |
| At-Bats | 7,658 | Leads: 9,927 |
| Runs | 1,091 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Hits | 2,048 | Leads: 2,774 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 503 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 98 |
| Home Runs | 389 | Leads: 438 |
| RBI | 1,376 | Leads: 1,591 |
| Walks | Leads: 891 | 589 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,509 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 314 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .342 | .323 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .482 |
| OPS | Leads: .817 | .806 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Bench leads Andre Dawson 25,321 to 20,948 — driven by per-season impact — 1,489 PIV per season to 998 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Bench played 17 seasons to Andre Dawson's 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).
Johnny Bench — top 3 seasons by OPS
Andre Dawson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Bench owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Andre Dawson. Note that PIV actually grades Johnny Bench ahead, which means Andre Dawson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johnny Bench and Andre Dawson careers compare
From 1976 through 1983, Johnny Bench and Andre Dawson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,158 games for Johnny Bench and 2,627 for Andre Dawson across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Johnny Bench's edges on the table are walks (891 to 589), on-base percentage (.342 to .323), and OPS (.817 to .806). Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891); Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Johnny Bench's on-base percentage of .342 tops Andre Dawson's .323.
Johnny Bench vs Andre Dawson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Andre Dawson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Johnny Bench in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Andre Dawson hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Johnny Bench's 389.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Bench, with .817 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andre Dawson, with .279 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.