Andre Dawson vs Cal Ripken: Career Stats Comparison
Cal Ripken has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 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 Cal Ripken (1981–2001) — 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; Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 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 Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS? Andre Dawson, with .806 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Andre Dawson, with .279 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits? Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Cal Ripken, with 1,695 to Andre Dawson's 1,591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Andre Dawson, with 20,948 career PIV to Cal Ripken's 19,199.
- Who won more championships? Cal Ripken, with 1 World Series title to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Cal Ripken
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Cal Ripken. 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 | Cal Ripken |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,627 | Leads: 3,001 |
| At-Bats | 9,927 | Leads: 11,551 |
| Runs | 1,373 | Leads: 1,647 |
| Hits | 2,774 | Leads: 3,184 |
| Doubles | 503 | Leads: 603 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 438 | 431 |
| RBI | 1,591 | Leads: 1,695 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 1,129 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,305 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 36 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .482 | .447 |
| OPS | Leads: .806 | .788 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andre Dawson leads Cal Ripken 20,948 to 19,199 — driven by per-season impact — 998 PIV per season to 914 — rather than by longevity, since Andre Dawson played 21 seasons to Cal Ripken'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
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andre Dawson leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OPS, while Cal Ripken owns hits, RBI, and runs. 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 Cal Ripken careers compare
Andre Dawson and Cal Ripken were active at the same time between 1981 and 1996. The two careers are close in length, 2,627 games for Andre Dawson and 3,001 for Cal Ripken across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589), and Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Cal Ripken holds the edge, .340 to .323.
Andre Dawson vs Cal Ripken: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Cal Ripken?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cal Ripken leads Andre Dawson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Cal Ripken hit more home runs?
- Andre Dawson, with 438 to Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Andre Dawson, with .806 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Andre Dawson, with .279 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Cal Ripken, with 3,184 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.