Charlie Gehringer vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Charlie Gehringer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Charlie Gehringer played 1924–1942 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
Charlie Gehringer (1924–1942) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Charlie Gehringer finished with 2,839 hits and 184 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 Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Charlie Gehringer, with 1,427 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Charlie Gehringer's 39,288.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Charlie Gehringer's 1.
Charlie Gehringer
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Charlie Gehringer 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 1920s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charlie Gehringer | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,323 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,860 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,774 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,839 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 574 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 146 | 83 |
| Home Runs | 184 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,427 | 1,337 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,186 | 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 372 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 181 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .320 | .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .404 | .397 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize leads Charlie Gehringer 43,061 to 39,288 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 2,068 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Charlie Gehringer'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).
Charlie Gehringer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Gehringer leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Johnny Mize owns home runs and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Gehringer. Note that PIV actually grades Johnny Mize ahead, which means Charlie Gehringer's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charlie Gehringer and Johnny Mize careers compare
From 1936 through 1942, Charlie Gehringer and Johnny Mize were in the majors together. With 2,323 games against 1,884 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Johnny Mize are home runs (359 to 184), slugging percentage (.562 to .480), and OPS (.959 to .884). At the plate, Charlie Gehringer walked more often than struck out (1,186 walks, 372 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. Charlie Gehringer was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Charlie Gehringer vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charlie Gehringer or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charlie Gehringer leads Johnny Mize in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Charlie Gehringer or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Charlie Gehringer's 184.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Charlie Gehringer's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Charlie Gehringer, with .320 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Charlie Gehringer, with 2,839 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.