Josh Gibson vs Biz Mackey: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Gibson 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). Josh Gibson played ?–1946 as a hitter; Biz Mackey played ?–1947 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
Josh Gibson (?–1946) and Biz Mackey (?–1947) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 home runs; Biz Mackey finished with 1,165 hits and 64 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Josh Gibson, with 197 to Biz Mackey's 64.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Biz Mackey's .871.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Biz Mackey's .329.
- Who had more hits? Biz Mackey, with 1,165 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Gibson, with 872 to Biz Mackey's 698.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Biz Mackey's 11,740.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Gibson and Biz Mackey. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Gibson | Biz Mackey |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 766 | Leads: 1,031 |
| At-Bats | 2,768 | Leads: 3,540 |
| Runs | Leads: 733 | 584 |
| Hits | 1,007 | Leads: 1,165 |
| Doubles | 170 | Leads: 202 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 64 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 197 | 64 |
| RBI | Leads: 872 | 698 |
| Walks | Leads: 400 | 361 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 20 | 18 |
| Stolen Bases | 44 | Leads: 73 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .364 | .329 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .446 | .394 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .691 | .477 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.136 | .871 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson outpaces Biz Mackey 28,319 to 11,740 — driven by per-season impact — 1,666 PIV per season to 405 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Gibson played 17 seasons to Biz Mackey's 29. 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).
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Biz Mackey — top 1 season by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Biz Mackey owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Gibson and Biz Mackey careers compare
No season is shared: Josh Gibson played ?–1946, Biz Mackey ?–1947. The two careers are close in length, 766 games for Josh Gibson and 1,031 for Biz Mackey across 17 and 29 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts), and Biz Mackey walked more often than struck out (361 walks, 18 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Josh Gibson's hits: 197 of 1,007 for Josh Gibson, 64 of 1,165 for Biz Mackey. In slugging percentage, Josh Gibson holds the edge, .691 to .477.
Josh Gibson vs Biz Mackey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Gibson or Biz Mackey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Josh Gibson leads Biz Mackey in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Gibson or Biz Mackey hit more home runs?
- Josh Gibson, with 197 to Biz Mackey's 64.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Biz Mackey's .871.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Biz Mackey's .329.
- Who had more hits?
- Biz Mackey, with 1,165 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.