Joe DiMaggio vs Mickey Mantle: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 as a hitter; Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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 Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits? Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Mickey Mantle's 1,509.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Mickey Mantle's 7.
Joe DiMaggio
Mickey Mantle
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. 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 | Mickey Mantle |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,401 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 8,102 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,677 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,415 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 344 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 72 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 536 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,509 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Strikeouts | 369 | 1,710 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 153 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .298 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .421 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .557 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: .977 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Joe DiMaggio 67,905 to 47,427 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,773 vs 3,648 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
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in hits, home runs, runs, and stolen bases, while Joe DiMaggio owns RBI and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Joe DiMaggio vs Mickey Mantle: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mickey Mantle leads Joe DiMaggio in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.