Hank Aaron vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron 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). 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. 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 | 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 not scored | 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 through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron edges Willie Mays 78,640 to 74,062 — driven by per-season impact — 3,419 PIV per season to 3,086 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Aaron played 23 seasons to Willie Mays's 24. 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).
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
How the Hank Aaron and Willie Mays careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) overlapped from 1954 to 1973, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 3,005 for Willie Mays across 23 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Willie Mays's on-base percentage of .384 tops Hank Aaron's .374.
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 the 14 scored 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.