Willard Brown vs Joe DiMaggio: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio 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). Willard Brown played 1947–1948 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
Willard Brown (1947–1948) and Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willard Brown finished with 643 hits and 63 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 Willard Brown's 63.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willard Brown, with .985 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willard Brown, with .354 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Willard Brown's 643.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Willard Brown's 432.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Willard Brown's 11,037.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Willard Brown's 1.
Willard Brown
Joe DiMaggio
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willard Brown 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, and the 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willard Brown | Joe DiMaggio |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 473 | Leads: 1,736 |
| At-Bats | 1,818 | Leads: 6,821 |
| Runs | 368 | Leads: 1,390 |
| Hits | 643 | Leads: 2,214 |
| Doubles | 139 | Leads: 389 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 131 |
| Home Runs | 63 | Leads: 361 |
| RBI | 432 | Leads: 1,537 |
| Walks | 137 | Leads: 790 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 16 | 369 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .354 | .325 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .400 | .398 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .585 | .579 |
| OPS | Leads: .985 | .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Willard Brown 47,427 to 11,037 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 788 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Willard Brown's 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).
Willard Brown
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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 Willard Brown owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Willard Brown and Joe DiMaggio careers compare
Willard Brown and Joe DiMaggio were active at the same time between 1947 and 1948. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willard Brown appeared in 473 games to Joe DiMaggio's 1,736. Willard Brown walked more often than struck out (137 walks, 16 strikeouts); Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe DiMaggio's hits: 63 of 643 for Willard Brown, 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio. In slugging percentage, Willard Brown holds the edge, .585 to .579. Only Joe DiMaggio has a season on the peak list; Willard Brown never reached the qualifying workload.
Willard Brown vs Joe DiMaggio: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willard Brown or Joe DiMaggio?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Willard Brown in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willard Brown or Joe DiMaggio hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Willard Brown's 63.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willard Brown, with .985 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willard Brown, with .354 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Willard Brown's 643.