Rogers Hornsby 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). Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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
Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 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 Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Rogers Hornsby's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Rogers Hornsby's 68,443.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Rogers Hornsby
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rogers Hornsby 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 1910s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rogers Hornsby | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,259 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 8,173 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,579 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 2,930 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | Leads: 541 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 169 | 141 |
| Home Runs | 301 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,584 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,038 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 679 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 135 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .358 | .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .434 | .384 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .577 | .557 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.010 | .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays edges Rogers Hornsby 74,062 to 68,443 — driven by per-season impact — 3,086 PIV per season to 2,852 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Mays played 24 seasons to Rogers Hornsby'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).
Rogers Hornsby — 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 Rogers Hornsby 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 Rogers Hornsby and Willie Mays careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rogers Hornsby's ended in 1937, and Willie Mays debuted in 1951. The two careers are close in length, 2,259 games for Rogers Hornsby and 3,005 for Willie Mays across 24 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts), but Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Mays's hits: 301 of 2,930 for Rogers Hornsby, 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays.
Rogers Hornsby vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rogers Hornsby or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Rogers Hornsby in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rogers Hornsby or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Rogers Hornsby's 2,930.