Andre Dawson vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Alex Rodriguez has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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 Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — 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; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Andre Dawson's 1,591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
- Who won more championships? Alex Rodriguez, with 1 World Series title to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Alex Rodriguez. 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 | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,627 | Leads: 2,784 |
| At-Bats | 9,927 | Leads: 10,566 |
| Runs | 1,373 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Hits | 2,774 | Leads: 3,115 |
| Doubles | 503 | Leads: 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 438 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 1,591 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 314 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .550 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alex Rodriguez outpaces Andre Dawson 54,389 to 20,948 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,472 PIV per season to 998, across 22 seasons to 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
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Andre Dawson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Alex Rodriguez 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 Alex Rodriguez careers compare
Andre Dawson and Alex Rodriguez were active at the same time between 1994 and 1996. With 2,627 games against 2,784 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Andre Dawson comes out ahead, it is in triples (98 to 31). Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589); Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). Alex Rodriguez is the more power-leaning hitter, with 696 of 3,115 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Andre Dawson stole more often per game played (314 steals in 2,627 games for Andre Dawson, 329 in 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez).
Andre Dawson vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alex Rodriguez leads Andre Dawson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .295 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.