Al Kaline vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 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 Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Al Kaline's 3,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Al Kaline's 1,583.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Al Kaline's 45,087.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Al Kaline
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Willie Mays. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,834 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 10,116 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 3,007 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 498 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 75 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 399 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,583 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,277 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts | 1,020 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .855 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Al Kaline 74,062 to 45,087 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,086 vs 2,049 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Al Kaline — 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 Al Kaline owns no headline categories. 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
Al Kaline vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Al Kaline in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Al Kaline's 399.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Al Kaline's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Al Kaline's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Al Kaline's 3,007.