Jose Canseco vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison

Dave Winfield 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). Jose Canseco played 1985–2001 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

Jose Canseco (1985–2001) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jose Canseco finished with 1,877 hits and 462 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? Dave Winfield, with 465 to Jose Canseco's 462.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Jose Canseco, with .867 to Dave Winfield's .827.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Dave Winfield, with .283 to Jose Canseco's .266.
  • Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Jose Canseco's 1,877.
  • Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Jose Canseco's 1,407.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Jose Canseco's 24,754.
  • Who won more championships? Jose Canseco, with 2 World Series titles to Dave Winfield's 1.
Leads Dave Winfield 11 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Dave Winfield +10,087
Read the verdict ↓

Jose Canseco

Hitter · 1985–2001
Games
1,887
Hits
1,877
Home Runs
462
RBI
1,407
Avg
.266
OPS
.867
View Jose Canseco's full profile →

Dave Winfield

Hitter · 1973–1995
Games
2,973
Hits
3,110
Home Runs
465
RBI
1,833
Avg
.283
OPS
.827
View Dave Winfield's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jose Canseco 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Jose Canseco vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Jose Canseco Dave Winfield
Games 1,887 Leads: 2,973
At-Bats 7,057 Leads: 11,003
Runs 1,186 Leads: 1,669
Hits 1,877 Leads: 3,110
Doubles 340 Leads: 540
Triples 14 Leads: 88
Home Runs 462 Leads: 465
RBI 1,407 Leads: 1,833
Walks 906 Leads: 1,216
Strikeouts not scored 1,942 1,686
Stolen Bases 200 Leads: 223
Batting Avg .266 Leads: .283
On-Base % Leads: .353 .353
Slugging % Leads: .515 .475
OPS Leads: .867 .827

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield outpaces Jose Canseco 34,842 to 24,754 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,515 PIV per season to 1,303, across 23 seasons to 19. 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.

Jose Canseco
24,754
Career PIV · 1,303 per season (19 seasons)
Dave Winfield
34,842
Career PIV · 1,515 per season (23 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Jose Canseco — top 3 seasons by OPS

1996.989 OPS28 HR, 82 RBI, .289 avg
1988.959 OPS42 HR, 124 RBI, .307 avg
1994.939 OPS31 HR, 90 RBI, .282 avg

Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS

1979.953 OPS34 HR, 118 RBI, .308 avg
1988.927 OPS25 HR, 107 RBI, .322 avg
1984.908 OPS19 HR, 100 RBI, .340 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Dave Winfield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jose Canseco owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Winfield. PIV agrees: Dave Winfield grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Jose Canseco and Dave Winfield careers compare

From 1985 through 1995, Jose Canseco and Dave Winfield were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jose Canseco appeared in 1,887 games to Dave Winfield's 2,973. Jose Canseco's edges on the table are on-base percentage (.353 to .353), slugging percentage (.515 to .475), and OPS (.867 to .827). At the plate, Jose Canseco struck out more than walked (1,942 to 906), and Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Jose Canseco is the more power-leaning hitter, with 462 of 1,877 hits leaving the park. Jose Canseco was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.

Jose Canseco vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Jose Canseco or Dave Winfield?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Jose Canseco in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Jose Canseco or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
Dave Winfield, with 465 to Jose Canseco's 462.
Who had the higher OPS?
Jose Canseco, with .867 to Dave Winfield's .827.
Who had the higher batting average?
Dave Winfield, with .283 to Jose Canseco's .266.
Who had more hits?
Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Jose Canseco's 1,877.