Joe DiMaggio vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Babe Ruth's 7.
Joe DiMaggio
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Babe Ruth. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,503 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .579 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Joe DiMaggio 111,979 to 47,427 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 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.
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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe DiMaggio owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) was finished before Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 1,736 games against 2,503 across 13 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Babe Ruth leads every scored row of the table. Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Babe Ruth's hits: 361 of 2,214 for Joe DiMaggio, 714 of 2,873 for Babe Ruth.
Joe DiMaggio vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Joe DiMaggio in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.