Billy Herman vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Billy Herman played 1931–1947 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
Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 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 Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Billy Herman's 0.
Billy Herman
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman 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 | Billy Herman | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,922 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,163 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,345 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 367 |
| Triples | 82 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 737 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Billy Herman 43,061 to 12,844 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 756 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Billy Herman's 17. 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).
Billy Herman — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Billy Herman owns hits, runs, and 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 Billy Herman and Johnny Mize careers compare
The careers of Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) overlapped from 1936 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,922 games for Billy Herman and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts); Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Mize's hits: 47 of 2,345 for Billy Herman, 359 of 2,011 for Johnny Mize. Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Billy Herman's .407.
Billy Herman vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Billy Herman in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Herman, with 2,345 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.