Willie Mays vs Cal Ripken: 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; Cal Ripken played 1981–2001 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 Cal Ripken (1981–2001) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Cal Ripken finished with 3,184 hits and 431 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 Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Cal Ripken's 3,184.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Cal Ripken's 1,695.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Cal Ripken's 19,199.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Willie Mays
Cal Ripken
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Cal Ripken. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Cal Ripken |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 3,001 |
| At-Bats | 10,924 | Leads: 11,551 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,647 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 3,184 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 603 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 431 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,695 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,129 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,305 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 36 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .276 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .447 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .788 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Cal Ripken 74,062 to 19,199 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 914, across 24 seasons to 21. 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
Cal Ripken — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Cal Ripken 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 Cal Ripken careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Cal Ripken debuted in 1981. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 3,001 for Cal Ripken across 24 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Cal Ripken are at-bats (11,551 to 10,924) and doubles (603 to 525). Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Cal Ripken struck out more than walked (1,305 to 1,129). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Mays's hits: 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays, 431 of 3,184 for Cal Ripken.
Willie Mays vs Cal Ripken: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Cal Ripken?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Cal Ripken in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Cal Ripken hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Cal Ripken's 431.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Cal Ripken's .788.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Cal Ripken's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Cal Ripken's 3,184.