Lou Gehrig vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they debuted in the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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 leads the career comparison? Lou Gehrig, in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Johnny Mize's 43,061.
Lou Gehrig
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig and Johnny Mize. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,164 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,001 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,888 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,721 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 83 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 493 | 359 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,337 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 102 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .397 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .562 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .959 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Johnny Mize 81,072 to 43,061 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,769 PIV per season to 2,871, across 17 seasons to 15. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Lou Gehrig leads 12 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Johnny Mize leads 0: no scored category. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Gehrig and Johnny Mize careers compare
From 1936 through 1939, Lou Gehrig and Johnny Mize were in the majors together. With 2,164 games against 1,884 across 17 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Lou Gehrig leads every scored row of the table. Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts); Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Lou Gehrig was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Lou Gehrig's slugging percentage of .632 tops Johnny Mize's .562. Best seasons: 1927 for Lou Gehrig (1.240 OPS, 47 HR, 175 RBI, .373 avg) and 1939 for Johnny Mize (1.070 OPS, 28 HR, 108 RBI, .349 avg).
Lou Gehrig vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Johnny Mize in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Lou Gehrig, with 493 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Gehrig, with 2,721 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.