Judy Johnson vs Eddie Mathews: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Mathews has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Judy Johnson played ?–1936 as a hitter; Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Judy Johnson (?–1936) and Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Judy Johnson finished with 1,078 hits and 36 home runs; Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Judy Johnson's 36.
- Who had the higher OPS? Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Judy Johnson's .755.
- Who had the higher batting average? Judy Johnson, with .296 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Judy Johnson's 1,078.
- Who drove in more runs? Eddie Mathews, with 1,453 to Judy Johnson's 609.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Eddie Mathews, with 45,555 career PIV to Judy Johnson's 1,381.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Judy Johnson's 1.
Judy Johnson
Eddie Mathews
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Judy Johnson and Eddie Mathews. 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 | Judy Johnson | Eddie Mathews |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 981 | Leads: 2,391 |
| At-Bats | 3,644 | Leads: 8,537 |
| Runs | 615 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Hits | 1,078 | Leads: 2,315 |
| Doubles | 190 | Leads: 354 |
| Triples | 61 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 36 | Leads: 512 |
| RBI | 609 | Leads: 1,453 |
| Walks | 254 | Leads: 1,444 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 29 | 1,487 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 95 | 68 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .344 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | .411 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .755 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Mathews outpaces Judy Johnson 45,555 to 1,381 — driven by per-season impact — 2,531 PIV per season to 66 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Mathews played 18 seasons to Judy Johnson's 21. 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).
Judy Johnson — top 2 seasons by OPS
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Mathews leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Judy Johnson owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Mathews. PIV agrees: Eddie Mathews grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Judy Johnson and Eddie Mathews careers compare
No season is shared: Judy Johnson played ?–1936, Eddie Mathews 1952–1968. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Judy Johnson appeared in 981 games to Eddie Mathews's 2,391. The green cells for Judy Johnson are stolen bases (95 to 68) and batting average (.296 to .271). At the plate, Judy Johnson walked more often than struck out (254 walks, 29 strikeouts), while Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444). Home runs make up a larger share of Eddie Mathews's hits: 36 of 1,078 for Judy Johnson, 512 of 2,315 for Eddie Mathews.
Judy Johnson vs Eddie Mathews: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Judy Johnson or Eddie Mathews?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Mathews leads Judy Johnson in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Judy Johnson or Eddie Mathews hit more home runs?
- Eddie Mathews, with 512 to Judy Johnson's 36.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Eddie Mathews, with .885 to Judy Johnson's .755.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Judy Johnson, with .296 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Mathews, with 2,315 to Judy Johnson's 1,078.