Bryce Harper vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bryce Harper has played 2012–present 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
Bryce Harper (2012–present) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 home runs through October 6, 2026; 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 Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Bryce Harper's .902.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Bryce Harper's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Bryce Harper's 34,405.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Bryce Harper's 0.
Bryce Harper
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bryce Harper 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 2010s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Bryce Harper is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Bryce Harper | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,947 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 7,012 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,247 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 1,956 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 433 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 392 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,138 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,212 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,802 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 159 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .386 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .516 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .902 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Bryce Harper 74,062 to 34,405 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 2,458, across 24 seasons to 14. 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).
Bryce Harper — 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 Bryce Harper owns OBP. 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 Bryce Harper and Willie Mays careers compare
Willie Mays (1951–1973) was finished before Bryce Harper (2012–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 1,947 games of Bryce Harper with 3,005 of Willie Mays across 14 and 24 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Bryce Harper comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.386 to .384). At the plate, Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212), and Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (159 steals in 1,947 games for Bryce Harper, 339 in 3,005 for Willie Mays). Bryce Harper's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Bryce Harper vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bryce Harper or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Bryce Harper in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bryce Harper or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Bryce Harper's .902.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.