Joe DiMaggio vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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 Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Pete Rose's 3.
Joe DiMaggio
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Pete Rose. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio leads Pete Rose 47,427 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Pete Rose's 25. 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
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Pete Rose owns hits, runs, and 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 Pete Rose careers compare
Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) was finished before Pete Rose (1963–1986) arrived, so they never shared a league. Pete Rose has the far longer record, 3,562 games against 1,736 across 13 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio is the more power-leaning hitter, with 361 of 2,214 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Pete Rose stole more often per game played (30 steals in 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio, 198 in 3,562 for Pete Rose).
Joe DiMaggio vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Joe DiMaggio in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.