Joe DiMaggio vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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 Stan Musial (1941–1963) — they debuted in the 1930s and the 1940s respectively and share 11 seasons. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Stan Musial, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Stan Musial, with 475 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Stan Musial's .976.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
Joe DiMaggio
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,736 | 3,026 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,821 | 10,972 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,949 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 78 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .559 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .976 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Joe DiMaggio 83,624 to 47,427 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,801 PIV per season to 3,648, across 22 seasons to 13. 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
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Stan Musial leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Joe DiMaggio leads 2: slugging percentage and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial 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 Stan Musial careers compare
From 1941 through 1951, Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Joe DiMaggio appeared in 1,736 games to Stan Musial's 3,026. Joe DiMaggio's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.579 to .559) and OPS (.977 to .976). Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). In on-base percentage, Stan Musial holds the edge, .417 to .398. Stan Musial owns the better peak by OPS: 1.119 OPS in 1939 for Joe DiMaggio against 1.152 OPS in 1948 for Stan Musial.
Joe DiMaggio vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Joe DiMaggio in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Stan Musial's .976.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.