Willie Mays vs Johnny Mize: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Johnny Mize played 1936–1953 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 Johnny Mize (1936–1953) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Johnny Mize finished with 2,011 hits and 359 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 Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Mize, with .959 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Mize, with .312 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Johnny Mize's 1,337.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Johnny Mize's 43,061.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Mize, with 5 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Johnny Mize
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Johnny Mize. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Johnny Mize |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,884 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 6,443 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,011 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 367 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 83 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 359 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,337 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 856 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 524 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .397 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .562 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: .959 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Johnny Mize 74,062 to 43,061 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 2,691, across 24 seasons to 16. 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
Johnny Mize — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Mize owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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 Johnny Mize careers compare
The careers of Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Johnny Mize (1936–1953) overlapped from 1951 to 1953, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Willie Mays has the far longer record, 3,005 games against 1,884 across 24 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Johnny Mize comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.312 to .301), on-base percentage (.397 to .384), and slugging percentage (.562 to .557). At the plate, Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), while Johnny Mize walked more often than struck out (856 walks, 524 strikeouts). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Willie Mays vs Johnny Mize: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Johnny Mize?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Johnny Mize in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Johnny Mize hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Johnny Mize's 359.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Mize, with .959 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Mize, with .312 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Johnny Mize's 2,011.