Joe Gordon vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Joe Gordon played 1938–1950 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
Joe Gordon (1938–1950) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe Gordon finished with 1,530 hits and 253 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 Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Joe Gordon's 975.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Joe Gordon's 18,128.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 5 World Series titles.
Joe Gordon
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Gordon 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Gordon | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,566 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 5,707 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | 914 | Leads: 1,118 |
| Hits | 1,530 | Leads: 2,011 |
| Doubles | 264 | Leads: 367 |
| Triples | 52 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 253 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 975 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 759 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 702 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 89 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .357 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .466 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Joe Gordon 43,061 to 18,128 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,691 PIV per season to 1,648, across 16 seasons to 11. 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).
Joe Gordon — 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 Joe Gordon owns 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 Joe Gordon and Johnny Mize careers compare
Joe Gordon and Johnny Mize were active at the same time between 1938 and 1950. The two careers are close in length, 1,566 games for Joe Gordon and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 11 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Joe Gordon's edges on the table are stolen bases (89 to 28). Joe Gordon walked more often than struck out (759 walks, 702 strikeouts); Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). In on-base percentage, Johnny Mize holds the edge, .397 to .357.
Joe Gordon vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Gordon or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Joe Gordon in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Gordon or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Joe Gordon's 253.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Joe Gordon's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Joe Gordon's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Joe Gordon's 1,530.