Mickey Mantle vs Joe Medwick: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 as a hitter; Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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
Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) and Joe Medwick (1932–1948) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs; Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.
- Who drove in more runs? Mickey Mantle, with 1,509 to Joe Medwick's 1,383.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Joe Medwick's 1.
Mickey Mantle
Joe Medwick
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Mantle and Joe Medwick. 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 | Mickey Mantle | Joe Medwick |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,401 | 1,984 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,102 | 7,635 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,677 | 1,198 |
| Hits | 2,415 | Leads: 2,471 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 113 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 536 | 205 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,509 | 1,383 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,733 | 437 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,710 | 551 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 153 | 42 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .324 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .421 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .867 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Joe Medwick 67,905 to 28,897 — driven by per-season impact — 3,773 PIV per season to 1,445 — rather than by longevity, since Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons to Joe Medwick's 20. 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).
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Joe Medwick owns hits and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mickey Mantle and Joe Medwick careers compare
No season is shared: Joe Medwick played 1932–1948, Mickey Mantle 1951–1968. With 2,401 games against 1,984 across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Joe Medwick are hits (2,471 to 2,415), doubles (540 to 344), and triples (113 to 72). At the plate, Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts), while Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437). Home runs make up a larger share of Mickey Mantle's hits: 536 of 2,415 for Mickey Mantle, 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick.
Mickey Mantle vs Joe Medwick: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Joe Medwick?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mickey Mantle leads Joe Medwick in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mickey Mantle or Joe Medwick hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.