Joe DiMaggio vs George Kell: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; George Kell played 1943–1957 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 George Kell (1943–1957) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; George Kell finished with 2,054 hits and 78 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 George Kell's 78.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to George Kell's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to George Kell's .306.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to George Kell's 2,054.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to George Kell's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to George Kell's 12,722.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to George Kell's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
George Kell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and George Kell. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | George Kell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 1,795 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 6,702 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 881 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 2,054 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 385 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 50 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 78 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 870 |
| Walks | Leads: 790 | 621 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 51 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .306 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .367 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .414 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .781 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces George Kell 47,427 to 12,722 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 670 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to George Kell's 19. 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
George Kell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Kell 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 George Kell careers compare
The careers of Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and George Kell (1943–1957) overlapped from 1943 to 1951, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 1,795 for George Kell across 13 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for George Kell are games (1,795 to 1,736) and stolen bases (51 to 30). Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); George Kell walked more often than struck out (621 walks, 287 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio is the more power-leaning hitter, with 361 of 2,214 hits leaving the park.
Joe DiMaggio vs George Kell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or George Kell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads George Kell in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or George Kell hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to George Kell's 78.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to George Kell's .781.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to George Kell's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to George Kell's 2,054.