Willie Mays vs Pee Wee Reese: 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; Pee Wee Reese played 1940–1958 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 Pee Wee Reese (1940–1958) — 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; Pee Wee Reese finished with 2,170 hits and 126 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 Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Pee Wee Reese's 885.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Pee Wee Reese's 10,057.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Willie Mays
Pee Wee Reese
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Pee Wee Reese. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Pee Wee Reese |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,166 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 8,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,338 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,170 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 330 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 80 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 126 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 885 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,210 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 890 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .269 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .366 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .377 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .743 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Pee Wee Reese 74,062 to 10,057 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 629, across 24 seasons to 16. 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
Pee Wee Reese — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pee Wee Reese 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 Pee Wee Reese careers compare
Willie Mays and Pee Wee Reese were active at the same time between 1951 and 1958. With 3,005 games against 2,166 across 24 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie Mays. Plate discipline differs: Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), but Pee Wee Reese walked more often than struck out (1,210 walks, 890 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Mays's hits: 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays, 126 of 2,170 for Pee Wee Reese. Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Willie Mays vs Pee Wee Reese: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Pee Wee Reese?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Pee Wee Reese in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Pee Wee Reese hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Pee Wee Reese's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Pee Wee Reese's .743.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Pee Wee Reese's .269.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Pee Wee Reese's 2,170.