Joe DiMaggio vs Paul Waner: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Waner has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Paul Waner played 1926–1945 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 Paul Waner (1926–1945) — 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; Paul Waner finished with 3,152 hits and 113 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 Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average? Paul Waner, with .333 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Paul Waner's 1,309.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Paul Waner's 40,296.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Paul Waner's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Paul Waner
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Paul Waner. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Paul Waner |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,549 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 9,459 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,627 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 3,152 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 605 |
| Triples | 131 | Leads: 191 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 113 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 1,309 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,091 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 376 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 104 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .333 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .404 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .473 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .878 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio leads Paul Waner 47,427 to 40,296 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 1,832 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Paul Waner's 22. 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
Paul Waner — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Waner leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Joe DiMaggio owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Waner. Note that PIV actually grades Joe DiMaggio ahead, which means Paul Waner's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe DiMaggio and Paul Waner careers compare
Joe DiMaggio and Paul Waner were active at the same time between 1936 and 1945. The two careers are close in length, 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio and 2,549 for Paul Waner across 13 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Joe DiMaggio comes out ahead, it is in home runs (361 to 113), RBI (1,537 to 1,309), and slugging percentage (.579 to .473). Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Paul Waner walked more often than struck out (1,091 walks, 376 strikeouts).
Joe DiMaggio vs Paul Waner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Paul Waner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Waner leads Joe DiMaggio in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Paul Waner hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Paul Waner's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Paul Waner's .878.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Paul Waner, with .333 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Paul Waner, with 3,152 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.