Rickey Henderson vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 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 Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Winfield, with .827 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Winfield, with .283 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Dave Winfield's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson 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 | Rickey Henderson | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 10,961 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,669 |
| Hits | 3,055 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts | 1,694 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 223 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .353 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .827 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson edges Dave Winfield 37,642 to 34,842 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,298 vs 1,515 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).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Winfield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Rickey Henderson owns runs, stolen bases, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Winfield. Note that PIV actually grades Rickey Henderson ahead, which means Dave Winfield's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Rickey Henderson vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Rickey Henderson in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Winfield, with .827 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Winfield, with .283 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.