Joe DiMaggio vs Charlie Keller: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 as a hitter; Charlie Keller played 1939–1952 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 Charlie Keller (1939–1952) — 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; Charlie Keller finished with 1,085 hits and 189 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 Charlie Keller's 189.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Charlie Keller's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Charlie Keller's .286.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Charlie Keller's 1,085.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Charlie Keller's 760.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Charlie Keller's 25,963.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Charlie Keller's 6.
Joe DiMaggio
Charlie Keller
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Charlie Keller. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Charlie Keller |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,736 | 1,170 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 3,790 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 725 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 1,085 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 166 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 189 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 760 |
| Walks | Leads: 790 | 784 |
| Strikeouts | 369 | 499 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 45 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .286 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .518 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .928 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Charlie Keller 47,427 to 25,963 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,648 vs 1,997 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Charlie Keller — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Charlie Keller owns stolen bases and OBP. 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
Joe DiMaggio vs Charlie Keller: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Charlie Keller?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Charlie Keller in 12 of 14 categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Charlie Keller hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Charlie Keller's 189.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Charlie Keller's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Charlie Keller's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Charlie Keller's 1,085.