Willie Mays vs Brooks Robinson: 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; Brooks Robinson played 1955–1977 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 Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Brooks Robinson finished with 2,848 hits and 268 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 Brooks Robinson's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Brooks Robinson's 2,848.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Brooks Robinson's 1,357.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Brooks Robinson's 9,441.
- Who won more championships? Brooks Robinson, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Brooks Robinson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Brooks Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,896 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 10,654 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,232 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,848 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 482 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 68 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 268 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,357 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 990 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 28 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .267 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .322 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .401 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .723 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Brooks Robinson 74,062 to 9,441 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 410, across 24 seasons to 23. 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
Brooks Robinson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Brooks Robinson 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 Brooks Robinson careers compare
The careers of Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Brooks Robinson (1955–1977) overlapped from 1955 to 1973, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 2,896 for Brooks Robinson across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie Mays. Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Brooks Robinson struck out more than walked (990 to 860). Willie Mays is the more power-leaning hitter, with 660 of 3,293 hits leaving the park. Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Willie Mays vs Brooks Robinson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Brooks Robinson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Brooks Robinson in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Brooks Robinson hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Brooks Robinson's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Brooks Robinson's .723.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Brooks Robinson's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Brooks Robinson's 2,848.