Hank Greenberg vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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 Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Johnny Mize's 43,061.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Hank Greenberg's 2.
Hank Greenberg
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Johnny Mize. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,118 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 379 | 367 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 331 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 1,276 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts | 844 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .397 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .562 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .959 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg edges Johnny Mize 43,523 to 43,061 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,348 vs 2,691 per year). 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).
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Greenberg leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Johnny Mize owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Greenberg. PIV agrees: Hank Greenberg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Hank Greenberg vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Hank Greenberg in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.