Joe DiMaggio vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 as a hitter; Willie Mays played 1951–1973 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 Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they debuted in the 1930s and the 1950s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Willie Mays, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Mays, with 660 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
Joe DiMaggio
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1930s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,736 | 3,005 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,821 | 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .384 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .557 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Joe DiMaggio 74,062 to 47,427 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Willie Mays played 23 seasons to Joe DiMaggio's 13, while Joe DiMaggio carries the higher per-season figure (3,648 to 3,220). 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
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Willie Mays leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Joe DiMaggio leads 4: batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Mays. PIV agrees: Willie Mays 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 Willie Mays careers compare
The careers of Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) overlapped from 1951 to 1951, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Joe DiMaggio appeared in 1,736 games to Willie Mays's 3,005. Where Joe DiMaggio comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.325 to .301), on-base percentage (.398 to .384), and slugging percentage (.579 to .557). Plate discipline differs: Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), but Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468).
Joe DiMaggio vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Joe DiMaggio in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.