Joe DiMaggio vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. 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 | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 30 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .325 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .398 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .579 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Joe DiMaggio 96,302 to 47,427 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 3,648, across 19 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe DiMaggio owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams 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 Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Joe DiMaggio (1936–1951) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1939 to 1951, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,736 games against 2,292 across 13 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Joe DiMaggio's edges on the table are triples (131 to 71) and stolen bases (30 to 24). At the plate, Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts), and Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams's slugging percentage of .634 tops Joe DiMaggio's .579.
Joe DiMaggio vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Joe DiMaggio in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Joe DiMaggio's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Joe DiMaggio's .325.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.