Joe DiMaggio vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe DiMaggio finished with 2,214 hits and 361 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Joe DiMaggio's 1,537.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Joe DiMaggio's 47,427.
- Who won more championships? Joe DiMaggio, with 9 World Series titles to Carl Yastrzemski's 0.
Joe DiMaggio
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe DiMaggio and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe DiMaggio | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,736 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 6,821 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,390 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,214 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 389 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 131 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 361 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,537 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 369 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 30 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .398 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .579 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski leads Joe DiMaggio 54,310 to 47,427 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons to Joe DiMaggio's 13, while Joe DiMaggio carries the higher per-season figure (3,648 to 2,361). 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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe DiMaggio owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Joe DiMaggio's ended in 1951, and Carl Yastrzemski debuted in 1961. Carl Yastrzemski has the far longer record, 3,308 games against 1,736 across 13 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Joe DiMaggio walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 369 strikeouts); Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). On the bases, Carl Yastrzemski stole more often per game played (30 steals in 1,736 games for Joe DiMaggio, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski). Joe DiMaggio's on-base percentage of .398 tops Carl Yastrzemski's .379.
Joe DiMaggio vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe DiMaggio or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Joe DiMaggio in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe DiMaggio or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Joe DiMaggio's 361.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .977 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe DiMaggio, with .325 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Joe DiMaggio's 2,214.