Graig Nettles vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 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
Graig Nettles (1967–1988) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 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 Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Winfield, with .827 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Winfield, with .283 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Graig Nettles's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Dave Winfield's 1.
Graig Nettles
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Graig Nettles 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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Graig Nettles | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,700 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 8,986 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,193 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,225 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 328 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 28 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 390 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 1,088 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,209 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 32 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | .248 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | .329 | Leads: .353 |
| Slugging % | .421 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .750 | Leads: .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield outpaces Graig Nettles 34,842 to 12,470 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,515 PIV per season to 567, across 23 seasons to 22. 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).
Graig Nettles — 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 Graig Nettles owns no headline categories. 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 Graig Nettles and Dave Winfield careers compare
Graig Nettles and Dave Winfield were active at the same time between 1973 and 1988. The two careers are close in length, 2,700 games for Graig Nettles and 2,973 for Dave Winfield across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Dave Winfield leads every scored row of the table. Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088); Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). On the bases, Dave Winfield stole more often per game played (32 steals in 2,700 games for Graig Nettles, 223 in 2,973 for Dave Winfield). In slugging percentage, Dave Winfield holds the edge, .475 to .421.
Graig Nettles vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Graig Nettles or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Graig Nettles in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Graig Nettles or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Winfield, with .827 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Winfield, with .283 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.