Johnny Mize vs Al Simmons: Career Stats Comparison
Al Simmons 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; Al Simmons played 1924–1944 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 Al Simmons (1924–1944) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs; Al Simmons finished with 2,927 hits and 307 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 Al Simmons's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Simmons, with .334 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Simmons, with 1,827 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Al Simmons's 40,529.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Al Simmons's 2.
Johnny Mize
Al Simmons
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Mize and Al Simmons. 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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Mize | Al Simmons |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,884 | Leads: 2,215 |
| At-Bats | 6,443 | Leads: 8,759 |
| Runs | 1,118 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Hits | 2,011 | Leads: 2,927 |
| Doubles | 367 | Leads: 539 |
| Triples | 83 | Leads: 149 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 359 | 307 |
| RBI | 1,337 | Leads: 1,827 |
| Walks | Leads: 856 | 615 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 524 | 737 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 88 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .334 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .562 | .535 |
| OPS | Leads: .959 | .915 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize edges Al Simmons 43,061 to 40,529 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 1,930 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Al Simmons's 21. 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
Al Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Simmons 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 Al Simmons. Note that PIV actually grades Johnny Mize ahead, which means Al Simmons's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johnny Mize and Al Simmons careers compare
The careers of Johnny Mize (1936–1953) and Al Simmons (1924–1944) overlapped from 1936 to 1944, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,884 games against 2,215 across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts), but Al Simmons struck out more than walked (737 to 615). Johnny Mize is the more power-leaning hitter, with 359 of 2,011 hits leaving the park. Best seasons: 1939 for Johnny Mize (1.070 OPS, 28 HR, 108 RBI, .349 avg) and 1930 for Al Simmons (1.130 OPS, 36 HR, 165 RBI, .381 avg).
Johnny Mize vs Al Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Mize or Al Simmons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Simmons leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Mize or Al Simmons hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Al Simmons's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Al Simmons's .915.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Simmons, with .334 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Simmons, with 2,927 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.