Willie Mays vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Babe Ruth. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 2,068 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,873 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 506 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 136 |
| Home Runs | 660 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,909 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,468 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Willie Mays 111,979 to 74,062 — driven by per-season impact — 5,090 PIV per season to 3,086 — rather than by longevity, since Babe Ruth played 22 seasons to Willie Mays's 24. 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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Willie Mays owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) was finished before Willie Mays (1951–1973) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 3,005 games against 2,503 across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), but Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). On the bases, Willie Mays stole more often per game played (339 steals in 3,005 games for Willie Mays, 123 in 2,503 for Babe Ruth). Babe Ruth's slugging percentage of .690 tops Willie Mays's .557.
Willie Mays vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Willie Mays in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.