Lenny Dykstra vs Keith Hernandez: Career Stats Comparison
Keith Hernandez 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). Lenny Dykstra played 1985–1996 as a hitter; Keith Hernandez played 1974–1990 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
Lenny Dykstra (1985–1996) and Keith Hernandez (1974–1990) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lenny Dykstra finished with 1,298 hits and 81 home runs; Keith Hernandez finished with 2,182 hits and 162 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Keith Hernandez, with 162 to Lenny Dykstra's 81.
- Who had the higher OPS? Keith Hernandez, with .821 to Lenny Dykstra's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average? Keith Hernandez, with .296 to Lenny Dykstra's .285.
- Who had more hits? Keith Hernandez, with 2,182 to Lenny Dykstra's 1,298.
- Who drove in more runs? Keith Hernandez, with 1,071 to Lenny Dykstra's 404.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Keith Hernandez, with 25,249 career PIV to Lenny Dykstra's 10,693.
- Who won more championships? Keith Hernandez, with 2 World Series titles to Lenny Dykstra's 1.
Lenny Dykstra
Keith Hernandez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lenny Dykstra and Keith Hernandez. 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lenny Dykstra | Keith Hernandez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,278 | Leads: 2,088 |
| At-Bats | 4,559 | Leads: 7,370 |
| Runs | 802 | Leads: 1,124 |
| Hits | 1,298 | Leads: 2,182 |
| Doubles | 281 | Leads: 426 |
| Triples | 43 | Leads: 60 |
| Home Runs | 81 | Leads: 162 |
| RBI | 404 | Leads: 1,071 |
| Walks | 640 | Leads: 1,070 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 503 | 1,012 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 285 | 98 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .375 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .436 |
| OPS | .793 | Leads: .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Keith Hernandez outpaces Lenny Dykstra 25,249 to 10,693 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,403 PIV per season to 823, across 18 seasons to 13. 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).
Lenny Dykstra — top 3 seasons by OPS
Keith Hernandez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Keith Hernandez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lenny Dykstra owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Keith Hernandez. PIV agrees: Keith Hernandez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lenny Dykstra and Keith Hernandez careers compare
Lenny Dykstra and Keith Hernandez were active at the same time between 1985 and 1990. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Lenny Dykstra appeared in 1,278 games to Keith Hernandez's 2,088. The green cells for Lenny Dykstra are stolen bases (285 to 98). At the plate, Lenny Dykstra walked more often than struck out (640 walks, 503 strikeouts), and Keith Hernandez walked more often than struck out (1,070 walks, 1,012 strikeouts). On the bases, Lenny Dykstra stole more often per game played (285 steals in 1,278 games for Lenny Dykstra, 98 in 2,088 for Keith Hernandez). Keith Hernandez's slugging percentage of .436 tops Lenny Dykstra's .419.
Lenny Dykstra vs Keith Hernandez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lenny Dykstra or Keith Hernandez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Keith Hernandez leads Lenny Dykstra in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lenny Dykstra or Keith Hernandez hit more home runs?
- Keith Hernandez, with 162 to Lenny Dykstra's 81.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Keith Hernandez, with .821 to Lenny Dykstra's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Keith Hernandez, with .296 to Lenny Dykstra's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Keith Hernandez, with 2,182 to Lenny Dykstra's 1,298.