Al Kaline vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline 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). Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 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? Al Kaline, with 399 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Johnny Mize's 43,061.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Al Kaline's 1.
Al Kaline
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline 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, and the 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,007 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 367 |
| Triples | 75 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 399 | 359 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 1,337 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,020 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 137 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .855 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline edges Johnny Mize 45,087 to 43,061 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Al Kaline played 22 seasons to Johnny Mize's 16, while Johnny Mize carries the higher per-season figure (2,691 to 2,049). 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).
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Mize owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Al Kaline and Johnny Mize careers compare
The careers of Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) overlapped from 1953 to 1953, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Al Kaline appeared in 2,834 games to Johnny Mize's 1,884. Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 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: 399 of 3,007 for Al Kaline, 359 of 2,011 for Johnny Mize.
Al Kaline vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.