Joe DiMaggio vs Willie Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Joe DiMaggio has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Willie Wells played ?–1948 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 Willie Wells (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Willie Wells finished with 1,319 hits and 145 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 Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Willie Wells's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Wells, with .327 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Willie Wells's 1,319.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe DiMaggio, with 1,537 to Willie Wells's 875.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Joe DiMaggio, with 47,427 career PIV to Willie Wells's 21,549.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Willie Wells's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Willie Wells
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Willie Wells. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Willie Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,736 | 1,068 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,821 | 4,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,390 | 956 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,214 | 1,319 |
| Doubles | Leads: 389 | 267 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 70 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 361 | 145 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,537 | 875 |
| Walks | Leads: 790 | 497 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 10 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .327 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .407 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .536 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe DiMaggio outpaces Willie Wells 47,427 to 21,549 — driven by per-season impact — 3,648 PIV per season to 798 — rather than by longevity, since Joe DiMaggio played 13 seasons to Willie Wells's 27. 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
Willie Wells — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe DiMaggio leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Wells owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Willie Wells careers compare
Joe DiMaggio and Willie Wells were active at the same time between 1948 and 1948. The table compares 1,736 games of Joe DiMaggio with 1,068 of Willie Wells across 13 and 27 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Willie Wells are stolen bases (176 to 30), batting average (.327 to .325), and on-base percentage (.407 to .398). At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Willie Wells walked more often than struck out (497 walks, 10 strikeouts). Joe DiMaggio is the more power-leaning hitter, with 361 of 2,214 hits leaving the park.
Joe DiMaggio vs Willie Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Willie Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe DiMaggio leads Willie Wells in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Willie Wells hit more home runs?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 361 to Willie Wells's 145.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Willie Wells's .943.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Wells, with .327 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe DiMaggio, with 2,214 to Willie Wells's 1,319.