Ernie Banks vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Ernie Banks 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). Ernie Banks played 1953–1971 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
Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ernie Banks finished with 2,583 hits and 512 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? Ernie Banks, with 512 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Ernie Banks, with 1,636 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Ernie Banks's 30,636.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Ernie Banks's 0.
Ernie Banks
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Banks 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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ernie Banks | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,528 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,421 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,305 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,583 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 407 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 90 | 83 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 512 | 359 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,636 | 1,337 |
| Walks | 763 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,236 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 50 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .330 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .500 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Ernie Banks 43,061 to 30,636 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 1,612 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Ernie Banks's 19. 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).
Ernie Banks — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ernie Banks leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Mize owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ernie Banks. Note that PIV actually grades Johnny Mize ahead, which means Ernie Banks's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ernie Banks and Johnny Mize careers compare
The careers of Ernie Banks (1953–1971) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) overlapped from 1953 to 1953, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,528 games against 1,884 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Ernie Banks struck out more than walked (1,236 to 763), but Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). On the peak-season lists, Ernie Banks's best year is 1958 at .980 OPS and Johnny Mize's is 1939 at 1.070 OPS; Johnny Mize has the stronger single season.
Ernie Banks vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Banks or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ernie Banks leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Banks or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Ernie Banks, with 512 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Ernie Banks's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Ernie Banks's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ernie Banks, with 2,583 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.