Johnny Mize vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro 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). Johnny Mize played 1936–1953 as a hitter; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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
Johnny Mize (1936–1953) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Rafael Palmeiro's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Rafael Palmeiro's 42,814.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Johnny Mize
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Mize and Rafael Palmeiro. 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 1930s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Mize | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,884 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 6,443 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 1,118 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 2,011 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 367 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | Leads: 83 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 359 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,337 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 856 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 524 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .288 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .562 | .515 |
| OPS | Leads: .959 | .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize edges Rafael Palmeiro 43,061 to 42,814 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 2,141 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Rafael Palmeiro'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).
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro 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 Rafael Palmeiro. Note that PIV actually grades Johnny Mize ahead, which means Rafael Palmeiro's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johnny Mize and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Johnny Mize's ended in 1953, and Rafael Palmeiro debuted in 1986. The table compares 1,884 games of Johnny Mize with 2,831 of Rafael Palmeiro across 16 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts), and Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). Johnny Mize owns the better peak by OPS: 1.070 OPS in 1939 for Johnny Mize against 1.050 OPS in 1999 for Rafael Palmeiro.
Johnny Mize vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Mize or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Mize or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Rafael Palmeiro's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.