Larry Walker 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). Larry Walker played 1989–2005 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
Larry Walker (1989–2005) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Larry Walker finished with 2,160 hits and 383 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 Larry Walker's 383.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Walker, with .965 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Larry Walker, with .313 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Larry Walker's 2,160.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Larry Walker's 1,311.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Walker, with 42,378 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Larry Walker's 0.
Larry Walker
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Walker 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Walker | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,988 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 6,907 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,355 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,160 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 471 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 62 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 383 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,311 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 913 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,231 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 230 | 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .400 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .565 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .965 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Walker leads Dave Winfield 42,378 to 34,842 — driven by per-season impact — 2,354 PIV per season to 1,515 — rather than by longevity, since Larry Walker played 18 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).
Larry Walker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Larry Walker leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Dave Winfield owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry Walker. PIV agrees: Larry Walker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Walker and Dave Winfield careers compare
The careers of Larry Walker (1989–2005) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) overlapped from 1989 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,988 games against 2,973 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Larry Walker struck out more than walked (1,231 to 913), and Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). On the bases, Larry Walker stole more often per game played (230 steals in 1,988 games for Larry Walker, 223 in 2,973 for Dave Winfield).
Larry Walker vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Walker or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Larry Walker in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Walker or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Larry Walker's 383.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Walker, with .965 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Larry Walker, with .313 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Larry Walker's 2,160.