Joe DiMaggio vs Joe Gordon: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Joe Gordon played 1938–1950 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 Joe Gordon (1938–1950) — 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; Joe Gordon finished with 1,530 hits and 253 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 Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Joe Gordon's 975.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Joe Gordon's 18,128.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Joe Gordon's 5.
Joe DiMaggio
Joe Gordon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Joe Gordon. 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 | Joe Gordon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,736 | 1,566 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 5,707 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 914 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 1,530 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 264 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 253 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 975 |
| Walks | Leads: 790 | 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 702 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 89 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .466 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Joe Gordon 47,427 to 18,128 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,648 PIV per season to 1,648, across 13 seasons to 11. 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
Joe Gordon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Gordon 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 Joe Gordon careers compare
Joe DiMaggio and Joe Gordon were active at the same time between 1938 and 1950. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 1,566 for Joe Gordon across 13 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Joe Gordon's edges on the table are stolen bases (89 to 30). Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Joe Gordon walked more often than struck out (759 walks, 702 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio owns the better peak by OPS: 1.119 OPS in 1939 for Joe DiMaggio against .900 OPS in 1942 for Joe Gordon.
Joe DiMaggio vs Joe Gordon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Joe Gordon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Joe Gordon in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Joe Gordon hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.