Willie Mays vs Andrew McCutchen: 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). Willie Mays played 1951–1973 as a hitter; Andrew McCutchen has played 2009–present 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
Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Andrew McCutchen (2009–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Andrew McCutchen has 2,280 hits and 333 home runs through October 6, 2026. 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 Andrew McCutchen's 333.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Andrew McCutchen's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Andrew McCutchen's .271.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Andrew McCutchen's 2,280.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Andrew McCutchen's 1,157.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Andrew McCutchen's 25,074.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Andrew McCutchen's 0.
Willie Mays
Andrew McCutchen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Andrew McCutchen. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Andrew McCutchen is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Andrew McCutchen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,299 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 8,423 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,298 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,280 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 453 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 50 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 333 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,157 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,192 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,915 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 220 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .271 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .364 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .455 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Andrew McCutchen 74,062 to 25,074 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,393, 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).
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Andrew McCutchen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Andrew McCutchen 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 Willie Mays and Andrew McCutchen careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Andrew McCutchen debuted in 2009. With 3,005 games against 2,299 across 24 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Mays leads every scored row of the table. Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Andrew McCutchen struck out more than walked (1,915 to 1,192). Willie Mays is the more power-leaning hitter, with 660 of 3,293 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (339 steals in 3,005 games for Willie Mays, 220 in 2,299 for Andrew McCutchen). Because Andrew McCutchen is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Mays vs Andrew McCutchen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Andrew McCutchen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Andrew McCutchen in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Andrew McCutchen hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Andrew McCutchen's 333.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Andrew McCutchen's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Andrew McCutchen's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Andrew McCutchen's 2,280.