Carlos May vs Lee May: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos May (1968–1977) and Lee May (1965–1982) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlos May finished with 1,127 hits and 90 home runs; Lee May finished with 2,031 hits and 354 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos May and Lee May. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Carlos May | Lee May |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,165 | 2,071 |
| At-Bats | 4,120 | 7,609 |
| Runs | 545 | 959 |
| Hits | 1,127 | 2,031 |
| Doubles | 172 | 340 |
| Triples | 23 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 90 | 354 |
| RBI | 536 | 1,244 |
| Walks | 512 | 487 |
| Strikeouts | 565 | 1,570 |
| Stolen Bases | 85 | 39 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .357 | .313 |
| Slugging % | .392 | .459 |
| OPS | .749 | .772 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee May outpaces Carlos May 14,353 to 7,985 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (797 vs 665 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).
Carlos May — top 3 seasons by OPS
Lee May — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lee May leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos May owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lee May. PIV agrees: Lee May grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.