Lou Gehrig vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Gehrig 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). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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 Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Lou Gehrig, with 1,995 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Lou Gehrig
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 1920s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 8,001 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,888 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 2,721 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | Leads: 534 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 141 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,995 | 1,909 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .384 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .557 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig leads Willie Mays 81,072 to 74,062 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 3,086 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons to Willie Mays's 24. 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).
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lou Gehrig leads in RBI, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Willie Mays owns hits, home runs, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lou Gehrig. PIV agrees: Lou Gehrig grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Gehrig and Willie Mays careers compare
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) was finished before Willie Mays (1951–1973) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,164 games against 3,005 across 17 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), but Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Lou Gehrig holds the edge, .632 to .557. Best seasons: 1927 for Lou Gehrig (1.240 OPS, 47 HR, 175 RBI, .373 avg) and 1954 for Willie Mays (1.078 OPS, 41 HR, 110 RBI, .345 avg).
Lou Gehrig vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Gehrig leads Willie Mays in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.