Mickey Mantle vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth 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). Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 as a hitter; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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
Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) and Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Mickey Mantle's 536.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Mickey Mantle's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Mickey Mantle's 1,509.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Mickey Mantle's 67,905.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 7 World Series titles.
Mickey Mantle
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth. 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 1950s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mickey Mantle | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,401 | Leads: 2,503 |
| At-Bats | 8,102 | Leads: 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,677 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,415 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 536 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,509 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,733 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,710 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 153 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .421 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Mickey Mantle 111,979 to 67,905 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 3,773, across 22 seasons to 18. 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).
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mickey Mantle owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth careers compare
No season is shared: Babe Ruth played 1914–1935, Mickey Mantle 1951–1968. The two careers are close in length, 2,401 games for Mickey Mantle and 2,503 for Babe Ruth across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Mickey Mantle are stolen bases (153 to 123). Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts); Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). On the bases, Mickey Mantle stole more often per game played (153 steals in 2,401 games for Mickey Mantle, 123 in 2,503 for Babe Ruth). Babe Ruth's on-base percentage of .474 tops Mickey Mantle's .421.
Mickey Mantle vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Mickey Mantle in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Mickey Mantle's 536.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Mickey Mantle's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.