Willie Mays vs Joe Morgan: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 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 Joe Morgan (1963–1984) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 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 Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Joe Morgan's 39,255.
- Who won more championships? Joe Morgan, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Joe Morgan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Joe Morgan. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Joe Morgan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,649 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 9,277 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,650 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,517 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 449 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 268 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,133 |
| Walks | 1,468 | Leads: 1,865 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,015 |
| Stolen Bases | 339 | Leads: 689 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .271 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .392 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .427 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Joe Morgan 74,062 to 39,255 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,784, across 24 seasons to 22. 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
Joe Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Morgan owns stolen bases and OBP. 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 Joe Morgan careers compare
From 1963 through 1973, Willie Mays and Joe Morgan were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 2,649 for Joe Morgan across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Joe Morgan are walks (1,865 to 1,468), stolen bases (689 to 339), and on-base percentage (.392 to .384). Plate discipline differs: Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), but Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts).
Willie Mays vs Joe Morgan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Joe Morgan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Joe Morgan in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Joe Morgan hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.