Willie Mays vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Willie Mays played 1951–1973 as a hitter; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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 Stan Musial (1941–1963) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 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 Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Stan Musial, with 3 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Stan Musial. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,005 | Leads: 3,026 |
| At-Bats | 10,924 | Leads: 10,972 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,949 |
| Hits | 3,293 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 141 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 475 |
| RBI | 1,909 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | 1,468 | Leads: 1,599 |
| Strikeouts | 1,526 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 78 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial leads Willie Mays 83,624 to 74,062 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,801 vs 3,086 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).
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Willie Mays owns home runs, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Willie Mays vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Willie Mays in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Stan Musial's 475.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Willie Mays's 3,293.