Andre Dawson vs Dale Murphy: Career Stats Comparison
Andre Dawson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Dale Murphy played 1976–1993 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 Dale Murphy (1976–1993) — 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; Dale Murphy finished with 2,111 hits and 398 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 Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dale Murphy, with .815 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andre Dawson, with .279 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Dale Murphy's 1,266.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dale Murphy, with 24,431 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Dale Murphy. 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 | Dale Murphy |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 2,180 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 7,960 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 1,197 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 2,111 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 39 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 438 | 398 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 1,266 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 986 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,748 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 161 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .265 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .346 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .482 | .469 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dale Murphy leads Andre Dawson 24,431 to 20,948 — driven by per-season impact — 1,286 PIV per season to 998 — rather than by longevity, since Dale Murphy played 19 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
Dale Murphy — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Dale Murphy owns 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 Dale Murphy 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 Dale Murphy careers compare
The careers of Andre Dawson (1976–1996) and Dale Murphy (1976–1993) overlapped from 1976 to 1993, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,627 games for Andre Dawson and 2,180 for Dale Murphy across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Dale Murphy comes out ahead, it is in walks (986 to 589), on-base percentage (.346 to .323), and OPS (.815 to .806). Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589); Dale Murphy struck out more than walked (1,748 to 986).
Andre Dawson vs Dale Murphy: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Dale Murphy?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Dale Murphy in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Dale Murphy hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Dale Murphy's 398.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dale Murphy, with .815 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andre Dawson, with .279 to Dale Murphy's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Dale Murphy's 2,111.