Smoky Burgess vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 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
Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Smoky Burgess finished with 1,318 hits and 126 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 Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Smoky Burgess's 673.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Smoky Burgess's 11,198.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Smoky Burgess's 1.
Smoky Burgess
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess 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 | Smoky Burgess | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,691 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 4,471 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 1,118 |
| Hits | 1,318 | Leads: 2,011 |
| Doubles | 230 | Leads: 367 |
| Triples | 33 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 673 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 28 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Smoky Burgess 43,061 to 11,198 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 560 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Smoky Burgess's 20. 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).
Smoky Burgess — top 3 seasons by OPS
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 Smoky Burgess owns no headline categories. 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 Smoky Burgess and Johnny Mize careers compare
From 1949 through 1953, Smoky Burgess and Johnny Mize were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,691 games for Smoky Burgess and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Johnny Mize. At the plate, Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts), and 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 Smoky Burgess's .446.
Smoky Burgess vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Smoky Burgess in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Smoky Burgess's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Smoky Burgess's 1,318.