Babe Ruth vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth 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). Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 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? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Dave Winfield's 465.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Dave Winfield's 1,833.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Dave Winfield's 1.
Babe Ruth
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth 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 1910s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,503 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 8,398 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,873 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 506 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 88 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 465 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,330 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 123 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Dave Winfield 111,979 to 34,842 — driven by per-season impact — 5,090 PIV per season to 1,515 — rather than by longevity, since Babe Ruth 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).
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Dave Winfield owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Babe Ruth and Dave Winfield careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Babe Ruth's ended in 1935, and Dave Winfield debuted in 1973. With 2,503 games against 2,973 across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), while Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Home runs make up a larger share of Babe Ruth's hits: 714 of 2,873 for Babe Ruth, 465 of 3,110 for Dave Winfield. On the bases, Dave Winfield stole more often per game played (123 steals in 2,503 games for Babe Ruth, 223 in 2,973 for Dave Winfield).
Babe Ruth vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Dave Winfield in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Dave Winfield's 465.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.