Willie Mays vs Gaylord Perry: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays and Gaylord Perry played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Willie Mays played 1951–1973 as a hitter; Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 as a pitcher.
- 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 Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Gaylord Perry pitched, totalling 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts; Willie Mays hit, totalling 3,293 hits and 660 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Gaylord Perry's 0.
Willie Mays
Gaylord Perry
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Gaylord Perry is shown on pitching lines and Willie Mays on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Willie Mays — Hitter
| Statistic | Willie Mays |
|---|---|
| Games | 3,005 |
| At-Bats | 10,924 |
| Runs | 2,068 |
| Hits | 3,293 |
| Doubles | 525 |
| Triples | 141 |
| Home Runs | 660 |
| RBI | 1,909 |
| Walks | 1,468 |
| Strikeouts | 1,526 |
| Stolen Bases | 339 |
| Batting Avg | .301 |
| On-Base % | .384 |
| Slugging % | .557 |
| OPS | .940 |
Gaylord Perry — Pitcher
| Statistic | Gaylord Perry |
|---|---|
| Wins | 314 |
| Losses | 265 |
| Games | 777 |
| Games Started | 690 |
| Complete Games | 303 |
| Shutouts | 53 |
| Saves | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 3,534 |
| Walks | 1,379 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,938 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 399 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,350.1 |
| ERA | 3.11 |
| WHIP | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 5.94 |
| BB/9 | 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Willie Mays carries a career batting PIV of 74,062; Gaylord Perry carries a career pitching PIV of 78,312. Gaylord Perry is the higher of the two at 78,312 to 74,062. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Gaylord Perry and Willie Mays: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Gaylord Perry grades higher, 78,312 to 74,062. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Mays and Gaylord Perry careers compare
Willie Mays and Gaylord Perry were active at the same time between 1962 and 1973. Willie Mays's batting card reads 3,293 hits, 660 home runs and a .301 average. Gaylord Perry's pitching card shows 314 wins, a 3.11 ERA and 3,534 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.078 OPS in 1954 for Willie Mays and 1.92 ERA in 1972 for Gaylord Perry.
Willie Mays vs Gaylord Perry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships?
- Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Gaylord Perry's 0.
- How do Willie Mays and Gaylord Perry compare?
- Willie Mays played 1951–1973 and Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.