Rusty Staub vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Rusty Staub played 1963–1985 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
Rusty Staub (1963–1985) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rusty Staub finished with 2,716 hits and 292 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 Rusty Staub's 292.
- Who had the higher OPS? Dave Winfield, with .827 to Rusty Staub's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average? Dave Winfield, with .283 to Rusty Staub's .279.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Rusty Staub's 2,716.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Rusty Staub's 1,466.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Dave Winfield, with 34,842 career PIV to Rusty Staub's 30,346.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Rusty Staub's 0.
Rusty Staub
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rusty Staub 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 | Rusty Staub | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,951 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 9,720 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,189 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,716 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 499 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 47 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 292 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,466 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,255 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts | 888 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 47 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .362 | .353 |
| Slugging % | .431 | Leads: .475 |
| OPS | .793 | Leads: .827 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Winfield leads Rusty Staub 34,842 to 30,346 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,515 vs 1,264 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).
Rusty Staub — 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 Rusty Staub owns OBP. 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
Rusty Staub vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rusty Staub or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Rusty Staub in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Rusty Staub or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Rusty Staub's 292.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Dave Winfield, with .827 to Rusty Staub's .793.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Dave Winfield, with .283 to Rusty Staub's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Rusty Staub's 2,716.