Johnny Mize vs Turkey Stearnes: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Mize has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Turkey Stearnes played ?–1940 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 Turkey Stearnes (?–1940) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs; Turkey Stearnes finished with 1,372 hits and 195 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 Turkey Stearnes's 195.
- Who had the higher OPS? Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average? Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,038.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Turkey Stearnes's 28,010.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Turkey Stearnes's 0.
Johnny Mize
Turkey Stearnes
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Mize and Turkey Stearnes. 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 | Turkey Stearnes |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,884 | 1,034 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,443 | 3,959 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,118 | 961 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,011 | 1,372 |
| Doubles | Leads: 367 | 243 |
| Triples | 83 | Leads: 122 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 359 | 195 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,337 | 1,038 |
| Walks | Leads: 856 | 429 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 524 | 11 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 141 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .347 |
| On-Base % | .397 | Leads: .416 |
| Slugging % | .562 | Leads: .617 |
| OPS | .959 | Leads: 1.033 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Turkey Stearnes 43,061 to 28,010 — driven by per-season impact — 2,691 PIV per season to 1,273 — rather than by longevity, since Johnny Mize played 16 seasons to Turkey Stearnes's 22. 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
Turkey Stearnes — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Turkey Stearnes owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. 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 Turkey Stearnes careers compare
Johnny Mize and Turkey Stearnes were active at the same time between 1940 and 1940. Johnny Mize has the far longer record, 1,884 games against 1,034 across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts); Turkey Stearnes walked more often than struck out (429 walks, 11 strikeouts). On the bases, Turkey Stearnes stole more often per game played (28 steals in 1,884 games for Johnny Mize, 141 in 1,034 for Turkey Stearnes). Turkey Stearnes's slugging percentage of .617 tops Johnny Mize's .562.
Johnny Mize vs Turkey Stearnes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Mize or Turkey Stearnes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Turkey Stearnes in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Mize or Turkey Stearnes hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Turkey Stearnes's 195.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Turkey Stearnes, with 1.033 to Johnny Mize's .959.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Turkey Stearnes, with .347 to Johnny Mize's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Turkey Stearnes's 1,372.