Joe DiMaggio vs Phil Rizzuto: 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; Phil Rizzuto played 1941–1956 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 Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Phil Rizzuto finished with 1,588 hits and 38 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 Phil Rizzuto's 38.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
  • Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.
  • Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Phil Rizzuto's 563.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Phil Rizzuto's 662.
  • Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Phil Rizzuto's 8.
Leads Joe DiMaggio 13 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Joe DiMaggio +46,764
Read the verdict ↓

Joe DiMaggio

Hitter · 1936–1951
Games
1,736
Hits
2,214
Home Runs
361
RBI
1,537
Avg
.325
OPS
.977
View Joe DiMaggio's full profile →

Phil Rizzuto

Hitter · 1941–1956
Games
1,661
Hits
1,588
Home Runs
38
RBI
563
Avg
.273
OPS
.706
View Phil Rizzuto's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Phil Rizzuto. 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, and the 1930s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Joe DiMaggio vs Phil Rizzuto: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Joe DiMaggio Phil Rizzuto
Games Leads: 1,736 1,661
At-Bats Leads: 6,821 5,816
Runs Leads: 1,390 877
Hits Leads: 2,214 1,588
Doubles Leads: 389 239
Triples Leads: 131 62
Home Runs Leads: 361 38
RBI Leads: 1,537 563
Walks Leads: 790 651
Strikeouts not scored 369 398
Stolen Bases 30 Leads: 149
Batting Avg Leads: .325 .273
On-Base % Leads: .398 .351
Slugging % Leads: .579 .355
OPS Leads: .977 .706

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Phil Rizzuto 47,427 to 662 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 51 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Phil Rizzuto's 13. 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.

Joe DiMaggio
47,427
Career PIV · 3,648 per season (13 seasons)
Phil Rizzuto
662
Career PIV · 51 per season (13 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

19391.119 OPS30 HR, 126 RBI, .381 avg
19371.085 OPS46 HR, 167 RBI, .346 avg
19411.083 OPS30 HR, 125 RBI, .357 avg

Phil Rizzuto — top 3 seasons by OPS

1950.857 OPS7 HR, 66 RBI, .324 avg
1941.741 OPS3 HR, 46 RBI, .307 avg
1953.734 OPS2 HR, 54 RBI, .271 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Phil Rizzuto owns stolen bases. 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 Phil Rizzuto careers compare

The careers of Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Phil Rizzuto (1941–1956) overlapped from 1941 to 1951, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,736 games against 1,661 across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Phil Rizzuto comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (149 to 30). Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Phil Rizzuto walked more often than struck out (651 walks, 398 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio is the more power-leaning hitter, with 361 of 2,214 hits leaving the park. Phil Rizzuto was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.

Joe DiMaggio vs Phil Rizzuto: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Phil Rizzuto?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Phil Rizzuto in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Joe DiMaggio or Phil Rizzuto hit more home runs?
Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Phil Rizzuto's 38.
Who had the higher OPS?
Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Phil Rizzuto's .706.
Who had the higher batting average?
Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Phil Rizzuto's .273.
Who had more hits?
Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Phil Rizzuto's 1,588.

See These Players in Another Era