Willie Mays vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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 Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — 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; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Alex Rodriguez's .930.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Alex Rodriguez's 54,389.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Willie Mays
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez. 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 | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,784 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 10,566 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 2,021 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 3,115 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 660 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 1,909 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 329 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .550 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Alex Rodriguez 74,062 to 54,389 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 2,472, across 24 seasons to 22. 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
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Alex Rodriguez owns home runs and RBI. 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 Alex Rodriguez careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Alex Rodriguez debuted in 1994. With 3,005 games against 2,784 across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Alex Rodriguez are doubles (548 to 525), home runs (696 to 660), and RBI (2,086 to 1,909). Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). On the bases, Alex Rodriguez stole more often per game played (339 steals in 3,005 games for Willie Mays, 329 in 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez). In slugging percentage, Willie Mays holds the edge, .557 to .550.
Willie Mays vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Alex Rodriguez in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Alex Rodriguez's .930.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.