Ken Boyer vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 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? Willie Mays, with 660 to Ken Boyer's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Ken Boyer's 2,143.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Ken Boyer's 1,141.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Ken Boyer's 22,279.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Ken Boyer
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer 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 | Ken Boyer | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,034 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 7,455 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,104 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 2,143 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 318 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 68 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 282 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,141 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 713 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 105 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | .349 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Ken Boyer 74,062 to 22,279 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,311, across 24 seasons to 17. 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ken Boyer owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Mays. PIV agrees: Willie Mays grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Willie Mays careers compare
From 1955 through 1969, Ken Boyer and Willie Mays were in the majors together. With 2,034 games against 3,005 across 17 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Mays leads every scored row of the table. Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713); Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Mays's hits: 282 of 2,143 for Ken Boyer, 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays. On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (105 steals in 2,034 games for Ken Boyer, 339 in 3,005 for Willie Mays).
Ken Boyer vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Ken Boyer in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Ken Boyer's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Ken Boyer's 2,143.