Joe DiMaggio vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Joe DiMaggio played 1936–1951 as a hitter; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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 Al Simmons (1924–1944) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 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 Al Simmons's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Simmons, with .334 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Al Simmons's 40,529.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Al Simmons's 2.
Joe DiMaggio
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Al Simmons. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 307 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 790 | 615 |
| Strikeouts | 369 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 88 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .535 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .915 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio leads Al Simmons 47,427 to 40,529 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,648 vs 1,930 per year). 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
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Joe DiMaggio owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Simmons. Note that PIV actually grades Joe DiMaggio ahead, which means Al Simmons's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Joe DiMaggio vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Joe DiMaggio in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Al Simmons's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Simmons, with .334 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.