Joe DiMaggio vs Bob Elliott: 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). Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 as a hitter; Bob Elliott played 1939–1953 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
Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Bob Elliott (1939–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Bob Elliott finished with 2,061 hits and 170 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 Bob Elliott's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Bob Elliott's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Bob Elliott's .289.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Bob Elliott's 2,061.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Bob Elliott's 1,195.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Bob Elliott's 22,824.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Bob Elliott's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Bob Elliott
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Bob Elliott. 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 | Joe DiMaggio | Bob Elliott |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 1,978 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 7,141 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 1,064 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 2,061 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 382 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 94 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 170 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,195 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 967 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 604 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 60 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .289 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .440 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Bob Elliott 47,427 to 22,824 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,427 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Bob Elliott's 16. 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).
Joe DiMaggio — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bob Elliott — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bob Elliott 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 Joe DiMaggio and Bob Elliott careers compare
The careers of Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Bob Elliott (1939–1953) overlapped from 1939 to 1951, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 1,978 for Bob Elliott across 13 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bob Elliott are games (1,978 to 1,736), at-bats (7,141 to 6,821), and walks (967 to 790). At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Bob Elliott walked more often than struck out (967 walks, 604 strikeouts).
Joe DiMaggio vs Bob Elliott: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Bob Elliott?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Bob Elliott in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Bob Elliott hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Bob Elliott's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Bob Elliott's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Bob Elliott's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Bob Elliott's 2,061.