Andre Dawson vs Mark McGwire: 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; Mark McGwire played 1986–2001 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 Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mark McGwire, with 583 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andre Dawson, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Mark McGwire's 1,414.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Mark McGwire. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andre Dawson | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 438 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Andre Dawson 44,531 to 20,948 — driven by per-season impact — 2,620 PIV per season to 998 — rather than by longevity, since Mark McGwire played 17 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
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Mark McGwire 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 Mark McGwire 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 Mark McGwire careers compare
The careers of Andre Dawson (1976–1996) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) overlapped from 1986 to 1996, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,627 games for Andre Dawson and 1,874 for Mark McGwire across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589); Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Home runs make up a larger share of Mark McGwire's hits: 438 of 2,774 for Andre Dawson, 583 of 1,626 for Mark McGwire. Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Andre Dawson vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Mark McGwire in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andre Dawson, with .279 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.