Orlando Cepeda vs Lee May: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Lee May played 1965–1982 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Lee May (1965–1982) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Lee May finished with 2,031 hits and 354 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Lee May's 354.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Lee May's .772.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Lee May's .267.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Lee May's 2,031.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Lee May's 1,244.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Lee May's 14,353.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Lee May's 0.
Orlando Cepeda
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Lee May. 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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Lee May |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,124 | 2,071 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 7,609 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,131 | 959 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 2,031 |
| Doubles | Leads: 417 | 340 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 354 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,244 |
| Walks | Leads: 588 | 487 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,570 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 39 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .350 | .313 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .849 | .772 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Lee May 32,785 to 14,353 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,726 PIV per season to 797, across 19 seasons to 18. 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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lee May — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lee May owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orlando Cepeda and Lee May careers compare
From 1965 through 1974, Orlando Cepeda and Lee May were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 2,071 for Lee May across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lee May comes out ahead, it is in triples (31 to 27). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Lee May struck out more than walked (1,570 to 487). On the bases, Orlando Cepeda stole more often per game played (142 steals in 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda, 39 in 2,071 for Lee May).
Orlando Cepeda vs Lee May: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Lee May?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Lee May in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Lee May hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Lee May's 354.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Lee May's .772.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Lee May's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Lee May's 2,031.