Lee May vs Tony Perez: Career Stats Comparison
Tony Perez 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). Lee May played 1965–1982 as a hitter; Tony Perez played 1964–1986 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
Lee May (1965–1982) and Tony Perez (1964–1986) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Lee May finished with 2,031 hits and 354 home runs; Tony Perez finished with 2,732 hits and 379 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Tony Perez, with 379 to Lee May's 354.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tony Perez, with .804 to Lee May's .772.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tony Perez, with .279 to Lee May's .267.
- Who had more hits? Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Lee May's 2,031.
- Who drove in more runs? Tony Perez, with 1,652 to Lee May's 1,244.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tony Perez, with 28,896 career PIV to Lee May's 14,353.
- Who won more championships? Tony Perez, with 2 World Series titles to Lee May's 0.
Tony Perez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lee May and Tony Perez. 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 | Lee May | Tony Perez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,071 | Leads: 2,777 |
| At-Bats | 7,609 | Leads: 9,778 |
| Runs | 959 | Leads: 1,272 |
| Hits | 2,031 | Leads: 2,732 |
| Doubles | 340 | Leads: 505 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 354 | Leads: 379 |
| RBI | 1,244 | Leads: 1,652 |
| Walks | 487 | Leads: 925 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,570 | 1,867 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | Leads: 49 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .279 |
| On-Base % | .313 | Leads: .341 |
| Slugging % | .459 | Leads: .463 |
| OPS | .772 | Leads: .804 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tony Perez outpaces Lee May 28,896 to 14,353 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,256 PIV per season to 797, across 23 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).
Lee May — top 3 seasons by OPS
Tony Perez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tony Perez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lee May owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tony Perez. PIV agrees: Tony Perez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lee May and Tony Perez careers compare
Lee May and Tony Perez were active at the same time between 1965 and 1982. The two careers are close in length, 2,071 games for Lee May and 2,777 for Tony Perez across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Tony Perez. Lee May struck out more than walked (1,570 to 487); Tony Perez struck out more than walked (1,867 to 925). Tony Perez's slugging percentage of .463 tops Lee May's .459. Best seasons: 1971 for Lee May (.864 OPS, 39 HR, 98 RBI, .278 avg) and 1970 for Tony Perez (.990 OPS, 40 HR, 129 RBI, .317 avg).
Lee May vs Tony Perez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lee May or Tony Perez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tony Perez leads Lee May in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lee May or Tony Perez hit more home runs?
- Tony Perez, with 379 to Lee May's 354.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tony Perez, with .804 to Lee May's .772.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tony Perez, with .279 to Lee May's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Perez, with 2,732 to Lee May's 2,031.