Joe DiMaggio vs Bill Nicholson: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Bill Nicholson played 1936–1953 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 Bill Nicholson (1936–1953) — 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; Bill Nicholson finished with 1,484 hits and 235 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 Bill Nicholson's 235.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Bill Nicholson's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Bill Nicholson's .268.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Bill Nicholson's 1,484.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Bill Nicholson's 948.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Bill Nicholson's 21,540.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Bill Nicholson's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Bill Nicholson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Bill Nicholson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Bill Nicholson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,736 | 1,677 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 5,546 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 837 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 1,484 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 272 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 60 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 235 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 948 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 800 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 828 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 30 | 27 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .365 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .465 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .830 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Bill Nicholson 47,427 to 21,540 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,346 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Bill Nicholson's 16. 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
Bill Nicholson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bill Nicholson owns no headline categories. 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 Bill Nicholson careers compare
From 1936 through 1951, Joe DiMaggio and Bill Nicholson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 1,677 for Bill Nicholson across 13 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bill Nicholson's edges on the table are walks (800 to 790). Plate discipline differs: Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), but Bill Nicholson struck out more than walked (828 to 800). Joe DiMaggio's slugging percentage of .579 tops Bill Nicholson's .465. Joe DiMaggio owns the better peak by OPS: 1.119 OPS in 1939 for Joe DiMaggio against .935 OPS in 1944 for Bill Nicholson.
Joe DiMaggio vs Bill Nicholson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Bill Nicholson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Bill Nicholson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Bill Nicholson hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Bill Nicholson's 235.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Bill Nicholson's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Bill Nicholson's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Bill Nicholson's 1,484.