Nellie Fox vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 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 Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits? Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Nellie Fox's 0.
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox 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 | Nellie Fox | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,367 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,232 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,279 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,663 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | 355 | Leads: 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 83 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 76 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Nellie Fox 43,061 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Nellie Fox's 19. 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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Nellie Fox owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. 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 Nellie Fox and Johnny Mize careers compare
The careers of Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) overlapped from 1947 to 1953, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,367 games against 1,884 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), and Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Johnny Mize is the more power-leaning hitter, with 359 of 2,011 hits leaving the park. In slugging percentage, Johnny Mize holds the edge, .562 to .363.
Nellie Fox vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Nellie Fox in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Nellie Fox, with 2,663 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.