Willie Mays vs Graig Nettles: 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; Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 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 Graig Nettles (1967–1988) — 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; Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 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 Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Graig Nettles's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Graig Nettles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Graig Nettles. 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 | Graig Nettles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,700 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 8,986 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,193 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,225 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 328 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 28 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 390 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,314 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,088 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,209 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .248 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .329 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .421 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .750 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Graig Nettles 74,062 to 12,470 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 567, 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
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Graig Nettles 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 Graig Nettles careers compare
The careers of Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Graig Nettles (1967–1988) overlapped from 1967 to 1973, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,005 games against 2,700 across 24 and 22 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); Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088). On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (339 steals in 3,005 games for Willie Mays, 32 in 2,700 for Graig Nettles). Willie Mays's slugging percentage of .557 tops Graig Nettles's .421.
Willie Mays vs Graig Nettles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Graig Nettles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Graig Nettles in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Graig Nettles hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Graig Nettles's 390.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Graig Nettles's 2,225.