Eddie Collins vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays 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). Eddie Collins played 1906–1930 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
Eddie Collins (1906–1930) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Collins finished with 3,315 hits and 47 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 Eddie Collins's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Eddie Collins's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Eddie Collins, with .333 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Eddie Collins, with 3,315 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Eddie Collins's 1,300.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Eddie Collins's 54,794.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Collins, with 6 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Eddie Collins
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Collins 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, and the 1900s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Collins | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,826 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 9,949 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,821 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,315 | 3,293 |
| Doubles | 438 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 187 | 141 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,300 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,499 | 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 467 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 741 | 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .333 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .424 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .853 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Eddie Collins 74,062 to 54,794 — driven by per-season impact — 3,086 PIV per season to 2,192 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Mays played 24 seasons to Eddie Collins's 25. 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).
Eddie Collins — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OPS, while Eddie Collins owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. 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 Eddie Collins and Willie Mays careers compare
No season is shared: Eddie Collins played 1906–1930, Willie Mays 1951–1973. The two careers are close in length, 2,826 games for Eddie Collins and 3,005 for Willie Mays across 25 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Eddie Collins walked more often than struck out (1,499 walks, 467 strikeouts), but Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Willie Mays is the more power-leaning hitter, with 660 of 3,293 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Eddie Collins stole more often per game played (741 steals in 2,826 games for Eddie Collins, 339 in 3,005 for Willie Mays).
Eddie Collins vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Collins or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Eddie Collins in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Collins or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Eddie Collins's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Eddie Collins's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Eddie Collins, with .333 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Eddie Collins, with 3,315 to Willie Mays's 3,293.