Johnny Mize vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome 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; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Jim Thome's .956.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Johnny Mize's 43,061.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Jim Thome's 0.
Johnny Mize
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Mize and Jim Thome. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Mize | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,884 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 6,443 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,118 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 2,011 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 367 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 83 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 359 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 1,337 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 856 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 524 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 28 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .397 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .562 | .554 |
| OPS | Leads: .959 | .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome leads Johnny Mize 51,664 to 43,061 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Thome played 25 seasons to Johnny Mize's 16, while Johnny Mize carries the higher per-season figure (2,691 to 2,067). 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Mize owns stolen bases, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome careers compare
No season is shared: Johnny Mize played 1936–1953, Jim Thome 1991–2012. With 1,884 games against 2,543 across 16 and 25 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 Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Jim Thome is the more power-leaning hitter, with 612 of 2,328 hits leaving the park. Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Jim Thome's .554. Best seasons: 1939 for Johnny Mize (1.070 OPS, 28 HR, 108 RBI, .349 avg) and 2002 for Jim Thome (1.122 OPS, 52 HR, 118 RBI, .304 avg).
Johnny Mize vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Mize or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Johnny Mize in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Mize or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Jim Thome's .956.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.