Andre Dawson vs Nomar Garciaparra: Career Stats Comparison
Andre Dawson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Andre Dawson played 1976–1996 as a hitter; Nomar Garciaparra played 1996–2009 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
Andre Dawson (1976–1996) and Nomar Garciaparra (1996–2009) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Nomar Garciaparra finished with 1,747 hits and 229 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 Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS? Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Nomar Garciaparra's 936.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Andre Dawson, with 20,948 career PIV to Nomar Garciaparra's 17,414.
- Who won more championships? Nomar Garciaparra, with 1 World Series title to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Nomar Garciaparra
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Nomar Garciaparra. 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 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andre Dawson | Nomar Garciaparra |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 1,434 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 5,586 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 927 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 1,747 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 370 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 438 | 229 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 936 |
| Walks | Leads: 589 | 403 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 554 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 95 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .521 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .882 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andre Dawson leads Nomar Garciaparra 20,948 to 17,414 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Andre Dawson played 21 seasons to Nomar Garciaparra's 15, while Nomar Garciaparra carries the higher per-season figure (1,161 to 998). 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).
Andre Dawson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Nomar Garciaparra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Nomar Garciaparra owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Andre Dawson. PIV agrees: Andre Dawson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Andre Dawson and Nomar Garciaparra careers compare
Andre Dawson and Nomar Garciaparra were active at the same time between 1996 and 1996. Andre Dawson has the far longer record, 2,627 games against 1,434 across 21 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Nomar Garciaparra's edges on the table are batting average (.313 to .279), on-base percentage (.361 to .323), and slugging percentage (.521 to .482). Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589); Nomar Garciaparra struck out more than walked (554 to 403). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Nomar Garciaparra's slugging percentage of .521 tops Andre Dawson's .482.
Andre Dawson vs Nomar Garciaparra: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Nomar Garciaparra?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Nomar Garciaparra in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Nomar Garciaparra hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Nomar Garciaparra's 229.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .882 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Nomar Garciaparra, with .313 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Nomar Garciaparra's 1,747.