Andre Dawson vs Mike Piazza: 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; Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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 Mike Piazza (1992–2007) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 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 Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Piazza, with .922 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.
- Who drove in more runs? Andre Dawson, with 1,591 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mike Piazza, with 30,988 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
Andre Dawson
Mike Piazza
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Mike Piazza. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andre Dawson | Mike Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 1,912 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 6,911 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,373 | 1,048 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 2,127 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 344 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 8 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 438 | 427 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,591 | 1,335 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,113 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .308 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .377 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .922 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Piazza outpaces Andre Dawson 30,988 to 20,948 — driven by per-season impact — 1,722 PIV per season to 998 — rather than by longevity, since Mike Piazza 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
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Piazza 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 Mike Piazza 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 Mike Piazza careers compare
From 1992 through 1996, Andre Dawson and Mike Piazza were in the majors together. With 2,627 games against 1,912 across 21 and 18 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 Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Mike Piazza's on-base percentage of .377 tops Andre Dawson's .323. Mike Piazza owns the better peak by OPS: .918 OPS in 1981 for Andre Dawson against 1.070 OPS in 1997 for Mike Piazza.
Andre Dawson vs Mike Piazza: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Mike Piazza?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andre Dawson leads Mike Piazza in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Mike Piazza hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Piazza, with .922 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.