Willard Brown vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize 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; 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
Willard Brown (1947–1948) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — 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; 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 Willard Brown's 63.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willard Brown, with .985 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willard Brown, with .354 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Willard Brown's 643.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Willard Brown's 432.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Willard Brown's 11,037.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Willard Brown's 1.
Willard Brown
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willard Brown 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 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 | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 473 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 1,818 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | 368 | Leads: 1,118 |
| Hits | 643 | Leads: 2,011 |
| Doubles | 139 | Leads: 367 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 63 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 432 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 137 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 16 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .354 | .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .400 | .397 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .585 | .562 |
| OPS | Leads: .985 | .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Willard Brown 43,061 to 11,037 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,691 PIV per season to 788, 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).
Willard Brown
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize 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 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 Willard Brown and Johnny Mize careers compare
From 1947 through 1948, Willard Brown and Johnny Mize were in the majors together. The table compares 473 games of Willard Brown with 1,884 of Johnny Mize across 14 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Willard Brown walked more often than struck out (137 walks, 16 strikeouts); Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Mize's hits: 63 of 643 for Willard Brown, 359 of 2,011 for Johnny Mize. Willard Brown has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Johnny Mize's best is 1939.
Willard Brown vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willard Brown or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Willard Brown in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willard Brown or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Willard Brown's 63.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willard Brown, with .985 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willard Brown, with .354 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Willard Brown's 643.