Joe DiMaggio vs Hank Greenberg: 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; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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 Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — 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; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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 Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Hank Greenberg's 2.
Joe DiMaggio
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Hank Greenberg. 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 | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,736 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,276 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 58 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .313 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .579 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio leads Hank Greenberg 47,427 to 43,523 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 3,348 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Hank Greenberg's 13. 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
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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 Hank Greenberg careers compare
From 1936 through 1947, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Greenberg were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 1,394 for Hank Greenberg across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts). Hank Greenberg owns the better peak by OPS: 1.119 OPS in 1939 for Joe DiMaggio against 1.122 OPS in 1938 for Hank Greenberg.
Joe DiMaggio vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Hank Greenberg in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.