Andre Dawson vs Gary Sheffield: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Sheffield 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; Gary Sheffield played 1988–2009 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 Gary Sheffield (1988–2009) — 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; Gary Sheffield finished with 2,689 hits and 509 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Gary Sheffield, with .292 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Gary Sheffield's 2,689.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Sheffield, with 1,676 to Andre Dawson's 1,591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Sheffield, with 44,001 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
- Who won more championships? Gary Sheffield, with 1 World Series title to Andre Dawson's 0.
Andre Dawson
Gary Sheffield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Gary Sheffield. 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 | Gary Sheffield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 2,576 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 9,217 |
| Runs | 1,373 | Leads: 1,636 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 2,689 |
| Doubles | Leads: 503 | 467 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 27 |
| Home Runs | 438 | Leads: 509 |
| RBI | 1,591 | Leads: 1,676 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 1,171 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 253 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .292 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .393 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .514 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: .907 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Sheffield outpaces Andre Dawson 44,001 to 20,948 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,833 PIV per season to 998, across 24 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
Gary Sheffield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Sheffield leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Andre Dawson owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Sheffield. PIV agrees: Gary Sheffield 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 Gary Sheffield careers compare
The careers of Andre Dawson (1976–1996) and Gary Sheffield (1988–2009) overlapped from 1988 to 1996, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,627 games against 2,576 across 21 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589), but Gary Sheffield walked more often than struck out (1,475 walks, 1,171 strikeouts). On the bases, Andre Dawson stole more often per game played (314 steals in 2,627 games for Andre Dawson, 253 in 2,576 for Gary Sheffield). In slugging percentage, Gary Sheffield holds the edge, .514 to .482.
Andre Dawson vs Gary Sheffield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Gary Sheffield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Sheffield leads Andre Dawson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Gary Sheffield hit more home runs?
- Gary Sheffield, with 509 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Sheffield, with .907 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Gary Sheffield, with .292 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Gary Sheffield's 2,689.