Andre Dawson vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Andre Dawson's 1,591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Babe Ruth. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andre Dawson | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,373 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,774 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 503 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 438 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,591 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Andre Dawson 111,979 to 20,948 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Andre Dawson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Andre Dawson debuted in 1976. With 2,627 games against 2,503 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Andre Dawson comes out ahead, it is in games (2,627 to 2,503), at-bats (9,927 to 8,398), and stolen bases (314 to 123). Plate discipline differs: Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589), but Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Babe Ruth's hits: 438 of 2,774 for Andre Dawson, 714 of 2,873 for Babe Ruth.
Andre Dawson vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Andre Dawson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Andre Dawson's 2,774.