Adam Dunn vs Matt Holliday: Career Stats Comparison

Matt Holliday has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Adam Dunn played 2001–2014 as a hitter; Matt Holliday played 2004–2018 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

Adam Dunn (2001–2014) and Matt Holliday (2004–2018) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Adam Dunn finished with 1,631 hits and 462 home runs; Matt Holliday finished with 2,096 hits and 316 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Quick answer

  • Who hit more home runs? Adam Dunn, with 462 to Matt Holliday's 316.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Matt Holliday, with .889 to Adam Dunn's .854.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Matt Holliday, with .299 to Adam Dunn's .237.
  • Who had more hits? Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Adam Dunn's 1,631.
  • Who drove in more runs? Matt Holliday, with 1,220 to Adam Dunn's 1,168.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Matt Holliday, with 30,426 career PIV to Adam Dunn's 25,016.
  • Who won more championships? Matt Holliday, with 1 World Series title to Adam Dunn's 0.
Leads Matt Holliday 11 of 14 awarded categories
PIV edge Matt Holliday +5,409
Read the verdict ↓

Adam Dunn

Hitter · 2001–2014
Games
2,001
Hits
1,631
Home Runs
462
RBI
1,168
Avg
.237
OPS
.854
View Adam Dunn's full profile →

Matt Holliday

Hitter · 2004–2018
Games
1,903
Hits
2,096
Home Runs
316
RBI
1,220
Avg
.299
OPS
.889
View Matt Holliday's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Adam Dunn and Matt Holliday. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Adam Dunn vs Matt Holliday: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Adam Dunn Matt Holliday
Games Leads: 2,001 1,903
At-Bats 6,883 Leads: 7,009
Runs 1,097 Leads: 1,157
Hits 1,631 Leads: 2,096
Doubles 334 Leads: 468
Triples 10 Leads: 32
Home Runs Leads: 462 316
RBI 1,168 Leads: 1,220
Walks Leads: 1,317 802
Strikeouts 2,379 1,362
Stolen Bases 63 Leads: 108
Batting Avg .237 Leads: .299
On-Base % .364 Leads: .379
Slugging % .490 Leads: .510
OPS .854 Leads: .889

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Matt Holliday leads Adam Dunn 30,426 to 25,016 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,902 vs 1,564 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Adam Dunn
25,016
Career PIV · 1,564 per season (16 seasons)
Matt Holliday
30,426
Career PIV · 1,902 per season (16 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Adam Dunn — top 3 seasons by OPS

2004.956 OPS46 HR, 102 RBI, .266 avg
2007.940 OPS40 HR, 106 RBI, .264 avg
2009.928 OPS38 HR, 105 RBI, .267 avg

Matt Holliday — top 3 seasons by OPS

20071.012 OPS36 HR, 137 RBI, .340 avg
2006.973 OPS34 HR, 114 RBI, .326 avg
2008.947 OPS25 HR, 88 RBI, .321 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Matt Holliday leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Adam Dunn owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Matt Holliday. PIV agrees: Matt Holliday grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Adam Dunn vs Matt Holliday: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Adam Dunn or Matt Holliday?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Matt Holliday leads Adam Dunn in 11 of 14 categories.
Did Adam Dunn or Matt Holliday hit more home runs?
Adam Dunn, with 462 to Matt Holliday's 316.
Who had the higher OPS?
Matt Holliday, with .889 to Adam Dunn's .854.
Who had the higher batting average?
Matt Holliday, with .299 to Adam Dunn's .237.
Who had more hits?
Matt Holliday, with 2,096 to Adam Dunn's 1,631.