Earl Averill vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Earl Averill played 1929–1941 as a hitter; Johnny Mize played 1936–1953 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
Earl Averill (1929–1941) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Earl Averill finished with 2,019 hits and 238 home runs; Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Johnny Mize, with 359 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Earl Averill's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Earl Averill, with .318 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Earl Averill, with 2,019 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Earl Averill's 1,164.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Earl Averill's 33,953.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Earl Averill's 0.
Earl Averill
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Earl Averill and Johnny Mize. 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Earl Averill | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,668 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 6,353 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,224 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,019 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 401 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 128 | 83 |
| Home Runs | 238 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 1,164 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 774 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 518 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 70 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .318 | .312 |
| On-Base % | .395 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .534 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize leads Earl Averill 43,061 to 33,953 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,691 PIV per season to 2,425, across 16 seasons to 14. 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).
Earl Averill — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Earl Averill owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johnny Mize. PIV agrees: Johnny Mize grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Earl Averill and Johnny Mize careers compare
Earl Averill and Johnny Mize were active at the same time between 1936 and 1941. The two careers are close in length, 1,668 games for Earl Averill and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Earl Averill walked more often than struck out (774 walks, 518 strikeouts); Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Johnny Mize is the more power-leaning hitter, with 359 of 2,011 hits leaving the park. Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Earl Averill's .534.
Earl Averill vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Earl Averill or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Earl Averill in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Earl Averill or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Earl Averill's 238.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Earl Averill's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Earl Averill, with .318 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Earl Averill, with 2,019 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.