Larry Doby vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they debuted in the 1940s and the 1950s respectively and share 9 seasons. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 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 leads the career comparison? Willie Mays, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Mays, with 660 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
Larry Doby
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby and Willie Mays. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Larry Doby | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,674 | 3,005 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,883 | 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 273 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,093 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .389 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .888 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Larry Doby 74,062 to 28,857 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,220 PIV per season to 1,697, across 23 seasons to 17. 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).
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Willie Mays leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Larry Doby leads 1: on-base percentage. 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 Larry Doby and Willie Mays careers compare
The careers of Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) overlapped from 1951 to 1959, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Larry Doby appeared in 1,674 games to Willie Mays's 3,005. Where Larry Doby comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.389 to .384). Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945); Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (64 steals in 1,674 games for Larry Doby, 339 in 3,005 for Willie Mays).
Larry Doby vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Larry Doby in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Larry Doby's 1,697.