Aaron Judge vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Aaron Judge has played 2016–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
Aaron Judge (2016–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. Aaron Judge has 1,262 hits and 386 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 Aaron Judge's 386.
- Who had the higher OPS? Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Aaron Judge's .291.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Aaron Judge's 871.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Aaron Judge's 37,037.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Aaron Judge's 0.
Aaron Judge
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Aaron Judge 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.
Aaron Judge is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Aaron Judge | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,211 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 4,342 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 918 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 1,262 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 213 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 7 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 386 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 871 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 860 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,454 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 70 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .291 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .410 | .384 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .610 | .557 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.020 | .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Aaron Judge 74,062 to 37,037 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Willie Mays played 24 seasons to Aaron Judge's 10, while Aaron Judge carries the higher per-season figure (3,704 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).
Aaron Judge — 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 Aaron Judge owns 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 Aaron Judge and Willie Mays careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Aaron Judge debuted in 2016. The table compares 1,211 games of Aaron Judge with 3,005 of Willie Mays across 10 and 24 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Aaron Judge's edges on the table are on-base percentage (.410 to .384), slugging percentage (.610 to .557), and OPS (1.020 to .940). Aaron Judge struck out more than walked (1,454 to 860); Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Home runs make up a larger share of Aaron Judge's hits: 386 of 1,262 for Aaron Judge, 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays. Aaron Judge's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Aaron Judge vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Aaron Judge or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Aaron Judge in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Aaron Judge or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Aaron Judge's 386.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Aaron Judge's .291.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.