Johnny Mize vs Rudy York: 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; Rudy York played 1934–1948 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 Rudy York (1934–1948) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 home runs; Rudy York finished with 1,621 hits and 277 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 Rudy York's 277.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Rudy York's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Rudy York's .275.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Rudy York's 1,621.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Mize, with 1,337 to Rudy York's 1,152.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Mize, with 43,061 career PIV to Rudy York's 24,140.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Rudy York's 1.
Johnny Mize
Rudy York
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Mize and Rudy York. 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 | Rudy York |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,884 | 1,603 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,443 | 5,891 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,118 | 876 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,011 | 1,621 |
| Doubles | Leads: 367 | 291 |
| Triples | Leads: 83 | 52 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 359 | 277 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,337 | 1,152 |
| Walks | Leads: 856 | 792 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 524 | 867 |
| Stolen Bases | 28 | Leads: 38 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .275 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .397 | .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .562 | .483 |
| OPS | Leads: .959 | .845 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Mize outpaces Rudy York 43,061 to 24,140 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,691 PIV per season to 1,724, across 16 seasons to 14. 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
Rudy York — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Mize leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rudy York 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 Rudy York careers compare
From 1936 through 1948, Johnny Mize and Rudy York were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,884 games for Johnny Mize and 1,603 for Rudy York across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Rudy York comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (38 to 28). At the plate, Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts), while Rudy York struck out more than walked (867 to 792). Johnny Mize's slugging percentage of .562 tops Rudy York's .483.
Johnny Mize vs Rudy York: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Mize or Rudy York?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Mize leads Rudy York in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Mize or Rudy York hit more home runs?
- Johnny Mize, with 359 to Rudy York's 277.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Rudy York's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Rudy York's .275.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Mize, with 2,011 to Rudy York's 1,621.