Fred Lynn vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 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
Fred Lynn (1974–1990) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 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 Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Lynn, with .845 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Fred Lynn's 1,111.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Fred Lynn's 25,648.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Fred Lynn's 0.
Fred Lynn
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Lynn | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,969 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 6,925 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,063 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 1,960 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 388 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 43 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 306 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,111 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 857 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,116 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 72 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .360 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .484 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .845 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield outpaces Fred Lynn 34,842 to 25,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,515 PIV per season to 1,425, across 23 seasons to 18. 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).
Fred Lynn — 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 Fred Lynn owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Winfield. PIV agrees: Dave Winfield grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fred Lynn and Dave Winfield careers compare
From 1974 through 1990, Fred Lynn and Dave Winfield were in the majors together. Dave Winfield has the far longer record, 2,973 games against 1,969 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Fred Lynn are batting average (.283 to .283), on-base percentage (.360 to .353), and slugging percentage (.484 to .475). Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857); Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). On the bases, Dave Winfield stole more often per game played (72 steals in 1,969 games for Fred Lynn, 223 in 2,973 for Dave Winfield).
Fred Lynn vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Lynn or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Fred Lynn in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred Lynn or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Lynn, with .845 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.