Rocky Colavito vs Mickey Mantle: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Rocky Colavito played 1955–1968 as a hitter; Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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
Rocky Colavito (1955–1968) and Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Rocky Colavito finished with 1,730 hits and 374 home runs; Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Rocky Colavito's 374.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Rocky Colavito's .848.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Rocky Colavito's .266.
- Who had more hits? Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Rocky Colavito's 1,730.
- Who drove in more runs? Mickey Mantle, with 1,509 to Rocky Colavito's 1,159.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Rocky Colavito's 28,223.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Rocky Colavito's 0.
Rocky Colavito
Mickey Mantle
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rocky Colavito and Mickey Mantle. 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 | Rocky Colavito | Mickey Mantle |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,841 | Leads: 2,401 |
| At-Bats | 6,503 | Leads: 8,102 |
| Runs | 971 | Leads: 1,677 |
| Hits | 1,730 | Leads: 2,415 |
| Doubles | 283 | Leads: 344 |
| Triples | 21 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | 374 | Leads: 536 |
| RBI | 1,159 | Leads: 1,509 |
| Walks | 951 | Leads: 1,733 |
| Strikeouts | 880 | 1,710 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 153 |
| Batting Avg | .266 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .421 |
| Slugging % | .489 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .848 | Leads: .977 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Rocky Colavito 67,905 to 28,223 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,773 vs 1,764 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).
Rocky Colavito — top 3 seasons by OPS
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rocky Colavito owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Rocky Colavito vs Mickey Mantle: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rocky Colavito or Mickey Mantle?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mickey Mantle leads Rocky Colavito in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Rocky Colavito or Mickey Mantle hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Rocky Colavito's 374.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Rocky Colavito's .848.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Rocky Colavito's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Mickey Mantle, with 2,415 to Rocky Colavito's 1,730.