Willie Mays vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Shohei Ohtani, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Shohei Ohtani. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 218 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .375 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .574 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Shohei Ohtani 74,062 to 24,591 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 3,074, across 24 seasons to 8. 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shohei Ohtani owns 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 Shohei Ohtani careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Shohei Ohtani debuted in 2018. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Mays appeared in 3,005 games to Shohei Ohtani's 1,172. Shohei Ohtani's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.574 to .557) and OPS (.948 to .940). At the plate, Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), and Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). Shohei Ohtani was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Shohei Ohtani's slugging percentage of .574 tops Willie Mays's .557. Because Shohei Ohtani is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Mays vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Shohei Ohtani?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Shohei Ohtani in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.