Joe DiMaggio vs Tony Gwynn: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Tony Gwynn played 1982–2001 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 Tony Gwynn (1982–2001) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Tony Gwynn finished with 3,141 hits and 135 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 Tony Gwynn's 135.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Tony Gwynn's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Gwynn, with .338 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Tony Gwynn, with 3,141 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Tony Gwynn's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Tony Gwynn's 30,602.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Tony Gwynn's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Tony Gwynn
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Tony Gwynn. 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, and the 1930s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Tony Gwynn |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,440 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 9,288 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 1,383 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 3,141 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 543 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 85 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 135 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,138 |
| Walks | 790 | 790 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 434 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 319 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .338 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .388 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .847 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Tony Gwynn 47,427 to 30,602 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,530 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Tony Gwynn's 20. 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
Tony Gwynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Tony Gwynn owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Tony Gwynn careers compare
Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) was finished before Tony Gwynn (1982–2001) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 2,440 for Tony Gwynn across 13 and 20 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 Tony Gwynn walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 434 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe DiMaggio's hits: 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio, 135 of 3,141 for Tony Gwynn.
Joe DiMaggio vs Tony Gwynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Tony Gwynn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Tony Gwynn in 7 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Tony Gwynn hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Tony Gwynn's 135.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Tony Gwynn's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Gwynn, with .338 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Gwynn, with 3,141 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.