Al Kaline vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield 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). Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 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 Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Al Kaline's 3,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Al Kaline's 1,583.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Al Kaline
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Dave Winfield. 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 1950s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,834 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 10,116 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 3,007 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 498 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 75 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 399 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,583 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,020 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .480 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .855 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline leads Dave Winfield 45,087 to 34,842 — driven by per-season impact — 2,049 PIV per season to 1,515 — rather than by longevity, since Al Kaline played 22 seasons to Dave Winfield's 23. 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).
Al Kaline — 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 runs, while Al Kaline owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Winfield. Note that PIV actually grades Al Kaline ahead, which means Dave Winfield's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Al Kaline and Dave Winfield careers compare
From 1973 through 1974, Al Kaline and Dave Winfield were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,834 games for Al Kaline and 2,973 for Dave Winfield across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts), but Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Dave Winfield was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Al Kaline holds the edge, .376 to .353.
Al Kaline vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Al Kaline in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Al Kaline's 3,007.