Willie Mays vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays and Pete Rose are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Willie Mays played 1951–1973 as a hitter; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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 Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Pete Rose. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,005 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 10,924 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 2,068 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 3,293 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 1,468 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts | 1,526 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 198 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .784 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Pete Rose 74,062 to 40,772 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,086 vs 1,631 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and OBP, while Pete Rose owns hits, runs, and 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
Willie Mays vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Willie Mays or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Willie Mays's 3,293.