Andre Dawson vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams 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; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Andre Dawson finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Andre Dawson's 1,591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Andre Dawson's 20,948.
Andre Dawson
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Andre Dawson and Ted Williams. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andre Dawson | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,627 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,927 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,373 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,774 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | 503 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 438 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,591 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 589 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,509 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 314 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .323 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .806 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Andre Dawson 96,302 to 20,948 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 998 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams 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 Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams 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 Ted Williams careers compare
No season is shared: Ted Williams played 1939–1960, Andre Dawson 1976–1996. The two careers are close in length, 2,627 games for Andre Dawson and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Andre Dawson struck out more than walked (1,509 to 589), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Andre Dawson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Ted Williams's slugging percentage of .634 tops Andre Dawson's .482. Ted Williams owns the better peak by OPS: .918 OPS in 1981 for Andre Dawson against 1.287 OPS in 1941 for Ted Williams.
Andre Dawson vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andre Dawson or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Andre Dawson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Andre Dawson or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Andre Dawson's 438.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Andre Dawson's .806.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Andre Dawson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Andre Dawson, with 2,774 to Ted Williams's 2,654.