Hank Greenberg vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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 Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Hank Greenberg
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg 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 1930s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 379 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 331 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,276 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .384 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .557 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Hank Greenberg 74,062 to 43,523 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Willie Mays played 24 seasons to Hank Greenberg's 13, while Hank Greenberg carries the higher per-season figure (3,348 to 3,086). 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).
Hank Greenberg — 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 Hank Greenberg owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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 Hank Greenberg and Willie Mays careers compare
No season is shared: Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947, Willie Mays 1951–1973. The table compares 1,394 games of Hank Greenberg with 3,005 of Willie Mays across 13 and 24 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Hank Greenberg comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.313 to .301), on-base percentage (.412 to .384), and slugging percentage (.605 to .557). At the plate, Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), while Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (58 steals in 1,394 games for Hank Greenberg, 339 in 3,005 for Willie Mays).
Hank Greenberg vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Hank Greenberg in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.