Lou Boudreau vs Joe DiMaggio: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Boudreau played 1938–1952 as a hitter; Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 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
Lou Boudreau (1938–1952) and Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lou Boudreau finished with 1,779 hits and 68 home runs; Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Lou Boudreau's 789.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Lou Boudreau's 17,260.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Lou Boudreau's 1.
Lou Boudreau
Joe DiMaggio
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Boudreau and Joe DiMaggio. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Boudreau | Joe DiMaggio |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,646 | Leads: 1,736 |
| At-Bats | 6,029 | Leads: 6,821 |
| Runs | 861 | Leads: 1,390 |
| Hits | 1,779 | Leads: 2,214 |
| Doubles | 385 | Leads: 389 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 131 |
| Home Runs | 68 | Leads: 361 |
| RBI | 789 | Leads: 1,537 |
| Walks | Leads: 796 | 790 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 309 | 369 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 51 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .325 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .398 |
| Slugging % | .415 | Leads: .579 |
| OPS | .795 | Leads: .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Lou Boudreau 47,427 to 17,260 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,151 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Lou Boudreau's 15. 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).
Lou Boudreau — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe DiMaggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Boudreau owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe DiMaggio. PIV agrees: Joe DiMaggio grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Boudreau and Joe DiMaggio careers compare
Lou Boudreau and Joe DiMaggio were active at the same time between 1938 and 1951. The two careers are close in length, 1,646 games for Lou Boudreau and 1,736 for Joe DiMaggio across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lou Boudreau's edges on the table are walks (796 to 790) and stolen bases (51 to 30). At the plate, Lou Boudreau walked more often than struck out (796 walks, 309 strikeouts), and Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe DiMaggio's hits: 68 of 1,779 for Lou Boudreau, 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio.
Lou Boudreau vs Joe DiMaggio: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Boudreau or Joe DiMaggio?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Lou Boudreau in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Boudreau or Joe DiMaggio hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Lou Boudreau's 68.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Lou Boudreau's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Lou Boudreau's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Lou Boudreau's 1,779.