Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 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 Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Orlando Cepeda's 1,365.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Orlando Cepeda
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda 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 | Orlando Cepeda | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 2,351 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,365 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 142 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Orlando Cepeda 74,062 to 32,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,726, across 24 seasons to 19. 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
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 Orlando Cepeda 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 Orlando Cepeda and Willie Mays careers compare
From 1958 through 1973, Orlando Cepeda and Willie Mays were in the majors together. With 2,124 games against 3,005 across 19 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie Mays. At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), and Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (142 steals in 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda, 339 in 3,005 for Willie Mays). Willie Mays's on-base percentage of .384 tops Orlando Cepeda's .350.
Orlando Cepeda vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Orlando Cepeda in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.