Tony Gwynn vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Tony Gwynn played 1982–2001 as a hitter; Dave Winfield played 1973–1995 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
Tony Gwynn (1982–2001) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tony Gwynn finished with 3,141 hits and 135 home runs; Dave Winfield finished with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dave Winfield, with 465 to Tony Gwynn's 135.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tony Gwynn, with .847 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Gwynn, with .338 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Tony Gwynn, with 3,141 to Dave Winfield's 3,110.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Tony Gwynn's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Tony Gwynn's 30,602.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Tony Gwynn's 0.
Tony Gwynn
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield. 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.
| Statistic | Tony Gwynn | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,440 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 9,288 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,383 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,141 | 3,110 |
| Doubles | Leads: 543 | 540 |
| Triples | 85 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 135 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,138 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts | 434 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 319 | 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .338 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .388 | .353 |
| Slugging % | .459 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .827 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield leads Tony Gwynn 34,842 to 30,602 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,515 vs 1,530 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Tony Gwynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Gwynn leads in hits, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Dave Winfield owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Gwynn. Note that PIV actually grades Dave Winfield ahead, which means Tony Gwynn's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Tony Gwynn vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Gwynn or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Tony Gwynn in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Tony Gwynn or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Tony Gwynn's 135.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tony Gwynn, with .847 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Gwynn, with .338 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Gwynn, with 3,141 to Dave Winfield's 3,110.