Oscar Charleston vs Joe DiMaggio: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Oscar Charleston played ?–1941 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
Oscar Charleston (?–1941) and Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Oscar Charleston finished with 1,718 hits and 183 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 Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS? Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Oscar Charleston's 1,718.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Oscar Charleston's 1,139.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Oscar Charleston's 34,756.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Oscar Charleston's 0.
Oscar Charleston
Joe DiMaggio
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Oscar Charleston 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 | Oscar Charleston | Joe DiMaggio |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,336 | Leads: 1,736 |
| At-Bats | 4,903 | Leads: 6,821 |
| Runs | 1,164 | Leads: 1,390 |
| Hits | 1,718 | Leads: 2,214 |
| Doubles | 329 | Leads: 389 |
| Triples | 112 | Leads: 131 |
| Home Runs | 183 | Leads: 361 |
| RBI | 1,139 | Leads: 1,537 |
| Walks | 647 | Leads: 790 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 29 | 369 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 311 | 30 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .350 | .325 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .430 | .398 |
| Slugging % | .575 | Leads: .579 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.005 | .977 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Oscar Charleston 47,427 to 34,756 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,121 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Oscar Charleston's 31. 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).
Oscar Charleston — top 2 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 Oscar Charleston 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 Oscar Charleston and Joe DiMaggio careers compare
From 1941 through 1941, Oscar Charleston and Joe DiMaggio were in the majors together. With 1,336 games against 1,736 across 31 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Oscar Charleston's edges on the table are stolen bases (311 to 30), batting average (.350 to .325), and on-base percentage (.430 to .398). At the plate, Oscar Charleston walked more often than struck out (647 walks, 29 strikeouts), and Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio is the more power-leaning hitter, with 361 of 2,214 hits leaving the park.
Oscar Charleston vs Joe DiMaggio: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Oscar Charleston or Joe DiMaggio?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Oscar Charleston in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Oscar Charleston or Joe DiMaggio hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Oscar Charleston's 1,718.