Joe DiMaggio vs Rickey Henderson: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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 Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 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 Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Rickey Henderson's 2.
Joe DiMaggio
Rickey Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Rickey Henderson. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Rickey Henderson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 3,081 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 10,961 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 2,295 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 3,055 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 510 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 297 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,115 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 2,190 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 1,694 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .401 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .419 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .820 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio leads Rickey Henderson 47,427 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. 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
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Rickey Henderson owns hits, runs, and 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 Rickey Henderson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Joe DiMaggio's ended in 1951, and Rickey Henderson debuted in 1979. The table compares 1,736 games of Joe DiMaggio with 3,081 of Rickey Henderson across 13 and 29 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Joe DiMaggio's hits: 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio, 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson.
Joe DiMaggio vs Rickey Henderson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Rickey Henderson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Joe DiMaggio in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Rickey Henderson hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.