Walt Dropo vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Walt Dropo played 1949–1961 as a hitter; Johnny Mize played 1936–1953 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
Walt Dropo (1949–1961) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Walt Dropo finished with 1,113 hits and 152 home runs; Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Johnny Mize, with 359 to Walt Dropo's 152.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Walt Dropo's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Walt Dropo's .270.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Walt Dropo's 1,113.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Walt Dropo's 704.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Walt Dropo's 4,059.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Walt Dropo's 0.
Walt Dropo
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Walt Dropo and Johnny Mize. 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walt Dropo | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,288 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 4,124 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | 478 | Leads: 1,118 |
| Hits | 1,113 | Leads: 2,011 |
| Doubles | 168 | Leads: 367 |
| Triples | 22 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 152 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 704 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 328 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 582 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | 5 | Leads: 28 |
| Batting Avg | .270 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .326 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .432 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .757 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Walt Dropo 43,061 to 4,059 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 254 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Walt Dropo's 16. 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).
Walt Dropo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Walt Dropo owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johnny Mize. PIV agrees: Johnny Mize grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walt Dropo and Johnny Mize careers compare
Walt Dropo and Johnny Mize were active at the same time between 1949 and 1953. The two careers are close in length, 1,288 games for Walt Dropo and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Johnny Mize. At the plate, Walt Dropo struck out more than walked (582 to 328), while Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Mize's hits: 152 of 1,113 for Walt Dropo, 359 of 2,011 for Johnny Mize.
Walt Dropo vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walt Dropo or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Walt Dropo in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Walt Dropo or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Walt Dropo's 152.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Walt Dropo's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Walt Dropo's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Walt Dropo's 1,113.