Joe DiMaggio vs Josh Gibson: 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). Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 as a hitter; Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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 Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 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 Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Josh Gibson's 872.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Josh Gibson's 28,319.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Josh Gibson's 2.
Joe DiMaggio
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Josh Gibson. 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 | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,736 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 2,768 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 170 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 197 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 790 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 44 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .579 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Josh Gibson 47,427 to 28,319 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,666 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Josh Gibson's 17. 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
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Josh Gibson 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 Joe DiMaggio and Josh Gibson careers compare
Joe DiMaggio and Josh Gibson were active at the same time between 1946 and 1946. Joe DiMaggio has the far longer record, 1,736 games against 766 across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Josh Gibson holds the edge, .691 to .579. Only Joe DiMaggio has a season on the peak list; Josh Gibson never reached the qualifying workload.
Joe DiMaggio vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Josh Gibson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.