Andre Dawson vs Fred Lynn: Career Stats Comparison
Andre Dawson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 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 Fred Lynn (1974–1990) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 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 Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Lynn, with .845 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Lynn, with .283 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Fred Lynn's 1,111.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Lynn, with 25,648 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
Andre Dawson
Fred Lynn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Fred Lynn. 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 | Andre Dawson | Fred Lynn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 1,969 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 6,925 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 1,063 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 1,960 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 388 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 43 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 438 | 306 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 1,111 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 857 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,116 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 72 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .484 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Lynn leads Andre Dawson 25,648 to 20,948 — driven by per-season impact — 1,425 PIV per season to 998 — rather than by longevity, since Fred Lynn played 18 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).
Andre Dawson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Fred Lynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred Lynn owns batting average, 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 Fred Lynn 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 Andre Dawson and Fred Lynn careers compare
The careers of Andre Dawson (1976–1996) and Fred Lynn (1974–1990) overlapped from 1976 to 1990, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,627 games for Andre Dawson and 1,969 for Fred Lynn across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589), and Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Fred Lynn's slugging percentage of .484 tops Andre Dawson's .482.
Andre Dawson vs Fred Lynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Fred Lynn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Fred Lynn in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Fred Lynn hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Lynn, with .845 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Lynn, with .283 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.