Eddie Mathews vs Willie Mays: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 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 Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Eddie Mathews's 45,555.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Eddie Mathews
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Willie Mays |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,391 | Leads: 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 8,537 | Leads: 10,924 |
| Runs | 1,509 | Leads: 2,068 |
| Hits | 2,315 | Leads: 3,293 |
| Doubles | 354 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 141 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 660 |
| RBI | 1,453 | Leads: 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,444 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 339 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .301 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .384 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .557 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Eddie Mathews 74,062 to 45,555 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 2,531, across 24 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).
Eddie Mathews — 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 Eddie Mathews 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
How the Eddie Mathews and Willie Mays careers compare
The careers of Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Willie Mays (1951–1973) overlapped from 1952 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,391 games against 3,005 across 18 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Mays leads every scored row of the table. Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444); Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Willie Mays's slugging percentage of .557 tops Eddie Mathews's .509.
Eddie Mathews vs Willie Mays: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Willie Mays?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Eddie Mathews in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Willie Mays hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.