Hank Aaron vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Willie Mays played 1951–1973 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 3,005 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 10,924 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 2,068 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,293 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 525 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 660 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts | 1,383 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .301 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron edges Willie Mays 78,640 to 74,062 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,419 vs 3,086 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willie Mays owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Hank Aaron vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Willie Mays in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Willie Mays's 3,293.