Johnny Mize vs Lennie Pearson: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Lennie Pearson played ?–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
Johnny Mize (1936–1953) and Lennie Pearson (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs; Lennie Pearson finished with 537 hits and 54 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 Lennie Pearson's 54.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Lennie Pearson's .816.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Lennie Pearson's .293.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Lennie Pearson's 537.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Lennie Pearson's 351.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Lennie Pearson's 4,571.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Lennie Pearson's 2.
Johnny Mize
Lennie Pearson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Mize and Lennie Pearson. 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 | Johnny Mize | Lennie Pearson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,884 | 492 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,443 | 1,830 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,118 | 347 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,011 | 537 |
| Doubles | Leads: 367 | 102 |
| Triples | Leads: 83 | 24 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 359 | 54 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,337 | 351 |
| Walks | Leads: 856 | 163 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 524 | 11 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 45 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .293 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .562 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .959 | .816 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Lennie Pearson 43,061 to 4,571 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,691 PIV per season to 305, across 16 seasons to 15. 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
Lennie Pearson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lennie Pearson owns stolen bases. 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 Johnny Mize and Lennie Pearson careers compare
Johnny Mize and Lennie Pearson were active at the same time between 1948 and 1948. Johnny Mize has the far longer record, 1,884 games against 492 across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Lennie Pearson comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (45 to 28). Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts); Lennie Pearson walked more often than struck out (163 walks, 11 strikeouts). Johnny Mize is the more power-leaning hitter, with 359 of 2,011 hits leaving the park. Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Lennie Pearson's .464.
Johnny Mize vs Lennie Pearson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Mize or Lennie Pearson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Lennie Pearson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Mize or Lennie Pearson hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Lennie Pearson's 54.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Lennie Pearson's .816.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Lennie Pearson's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Lennie Pearson's 537.