Willie Mays vs Mike Piazza: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Mike Piazza played 1992–2007 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 Mike Piazza (1992–2007) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Mike Piazza finished with 2,127 hits and 427 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 Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Mike Piazza's .922.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mike Piazza, with .308 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Mike Piazza's 1,335.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Mike Piazza's 30,988.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Mike Piazza's 0.
Willie Mays
Mike Piazza
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Mike Piazza. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Mike Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,912 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 6,911 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,048 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,127 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 344 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 8 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 427 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,335 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 759 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,113 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .308 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .377 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .545 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .922 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Mike Piazza 74,062 to 30,988 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,722, across 24 seasons to 18. 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
Mike Piazza — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Piazza owns batting average. 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 Mike Piazza careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Mike Piazza debuted in 1992. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Mays appeared in 3,005 games to Mike Piazza's 1,912. Mike Piazza's edges on the table are batting average (.308 to .301). Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Mike Piazza struck out more than walked (1,113 to 759). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Willie Mays holds the edge, .384 to .377.
Willie Mays vs Mike Piazza: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Mike Piazza?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Mike Piazza in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Mike Piazza hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Mike Piazza's 427.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Mike Piazza's .922.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mike Piazza, with .308 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Mike Piazza's 2,127.