Rickey Henderson 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). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 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 Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson 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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 3,005 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 10,924 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 2,068 |
| Hits | 3,055 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 339 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .384 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Rickey Henderson 74,062 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 3,086 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Mays played 24 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. 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).
Rickey Henderson — 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 batting average, while Rickey Henderson owns runs, stolen bases, and 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 Rickey Henderson and Willie Mays careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Rickey Henderson debuted in 1979. With 3,081 games against 3,005 across 29 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 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. Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Willie Mays's slugging percentage of .557 tops Rickey Henderson's .419.
Rickey Henderson vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Rickey Henderson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.