Joe Medwick vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Medwick 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). Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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
Joe Medwick (1932–1948) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 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 Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Joe Medwick, with .324 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Joe Medwick, with 1,383 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Joe Medwick's 1.
Joe Medwick
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Medwick 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 | Joe Medwick | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,984 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,635 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,198 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,471 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 540 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 113 | 83 |
| Home Runs | 205 | Leads: 359 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,383 | 1,337 |
| Walks | 437 | Leads: 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 551 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 42 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .324 | .312 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .505 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .867 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Joe Medwick 43,061 to 28,897 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 1,445 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 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).
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Medwick leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Johnny Mize owns home runs, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Medwick. Note that PIV actually grades Johnny Mize ahead, which means Joe Medwick's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Medwick and Johnny Mize careers compare
Joe Medwick and Johnny Mize were active at the same time between 1936 and 1948. With 1,984 games against 1,884 across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437), but Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Mize's hits: 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick, 359 of 2,011 for Johnny Mize. Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Joe Medwick's .505.
Joe Medwick vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Medwick or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Medwick leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Medwick or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Joe Medwick, with .324 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Joe Medwick, with 2,471 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.