Andre Dawson vs Paul O'Neill: 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; Paul O'Neill played 1985–2001 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 Paul O'Neill (1985–2001) — 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; Paul O'Neill finished with 2,105 hits and 281 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 Paul O'Neill's 281.
- Who had the higher OPS? Paul O'Neill, with .833 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul O'Neill, with .288 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Paul O'Neill's 2,105.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Paul O'Neill's 1,269.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Andre Dawson, with 20,948 career PIV to Paul O'Neill's 18,817.
- Who won more championships? Paul O'Neill, with 5 World Series titles to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Paul O'Neill
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Paul O'Neill. 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 | Paul O'Neill |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 2,053 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 7,318 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 1,041 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 2,105 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 21 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 438 | 281 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 1,269 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 892 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,166 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 141 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .363 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .482 | .470 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .833 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andre Dawson leads Paul O'Neill 20,948 to 18,817 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Andre Dawson played 21 seasons to Paul O'Neill's 17, while Paul O'Neill carries the higher per-season figure (1,107 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
Paul O'Neill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Paul O'Neill 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 Paul O'Neill careers compare
The careers of Andre Dawson (1976–1996) and Paul O'Neill (1985–2001) overlapped from 1985 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 2,053 for Paul O'Neill across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Paul O'Neill's edges on the table are walks (892 to 589), batting average (.288 to .279), and on-base percentage (.363 to .323). Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589); Paul O'Neill struck out more than walked (1,166 to 892). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Andre Dawson vs Paul O'Neill: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Paul O'Neill?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Paul O'Neill in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Paul O'Neill hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Paul O'Neill's 281.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Paul O'Neill, with .833 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul O'Neill, with .288 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Paul O'Neill's 2,105.