Gary Carter vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gary Carter played 1974–1992 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
Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 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 Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Winfield, with .827 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Winfield, with .283 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Gary Carter's 2,092.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Gary Carter's 1,225.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Gary Carter's 14,141.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,296 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 7,971 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,025 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,092 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 371 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 324 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,225 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .353 |
| Slugging % | .439 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .773 | Leads: .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield outpaces Gary Carter 34,842 to 14,141 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,515 PIV per season to 744, 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.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Gary Carter — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Winfield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Gary Carter owns no headline categories. 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 Gary Carter and Dave Winfield careers compare
The careers of Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) overlapped from 1974 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,296 games against 2,973 across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Dave Winfield leads every scored row of the table. Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848); Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Dave Winfield was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Best seasons: 1982 for Gary Carter (.890 OPS, 29 HR, 97 RBI, .293 avg) and 1979 for Dave Winfield (.953 OPS, 34 HR, 118 RBI, .308 avg).
Gary Carter vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Gary Carter in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Gary Carter's 324.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Winfield, with .827 to Gary Carter's .773.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Winfield, with .283 to Gary Carter's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Gary Carter's 2,092.