Andre Dawson vs Willie McCovey: 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; Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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 Willie McCovey (1959–1980) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie McCovey, with 521 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie McCovey, with .889 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andre Dawson, with .279 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Willie McCovey's 1,555.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie McCovey, with 47,331 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
Andre Dawson
Willie McCovey
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Willie McCovey. 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andre Dawson | Willie McCovey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 2,588 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 8,197 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 1,229 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 2,211 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 353 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 46 |
| Home Runs | 438 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 1,555 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 1,345 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,550 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 26 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .270 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie McCovey outpaces Andre Dawson 47,331 to 20,948 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,058 PIV per season to 998, across 23 seasons to 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
Willie McCovey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Willie McCovey owns home runs, 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 Willie McCovey 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 Willie McCovey careers compare
From 1976 through 1980, Andre Dawson and Willie McCovey were in the majors together. With 2,627 games against 2,588 across 21 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589), and Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345). Willie McCovey is the more power-leaning hitter, with 521 of 2,211 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Andre Dawson stole more often per game played (314 steals in 2,627 games for Andre Dawson, 26 in 2,588 for Willie McCovey). In on-base percentage, Willie McCovey holds the edge, .374 to .323.
Andre Dawson vs Willie McCovey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Willie McCovey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Willie McCovey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Willie McCovey hit more home runs?
- Willie McCovey, with 521 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie McCovey, with .889 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andre Dawson, with .279 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.