Ernie Lombardi vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ernie Lombardi 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
Ernie Lombardi (1931–1947) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ernie Lombardi finished with 1,792 hits and 190 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 Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Ernie Lombardi's 990.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Ernie Lombardi's 15,583.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Ernie Lombardi's 1.
Ernie Lombardi
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ernie Lombardi 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 | Ernie Lombardi | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,853 | Leads: 1,884 |
| At-Bats | 5,855 | Leads: 6,443 |
| Runs | 601 | Leads: 1,118 |
| Hits | 1,792 | Leads: 2,011 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 367 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 83 |
| Home Runs | 190 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | 990 | Leads: 1,337 |
| Walks | 430 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 262 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | 8 | Leads: 28 |
| Batting Avg | .306 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .460 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .818 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Ernie Lombardi 43,061 to 15,583 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 917 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Ernie Lombardi'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).
Ernie Lombardi — 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 Ernie Lombardi owns no headline categories. 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 Ernie Lombardi and Johnny Mize careers compare
The careers of Ernie Lombardi (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, 1,853 games for Ernie Lombardi and 1,884 for Johnny Mize across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Johnny Mize. At the plate, Ernie Lombardi walked more often than struck out (430 walks, 262 strikeouts), and Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts).
Ernie Lombardi vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ernie Lombardi or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Ernie Lombardi in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ernie Lombardi or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Ernie Lombardi's 190.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Ernie Lombardi's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Ernie Lombardi's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Ernie Lombardi's 1,792.