Willie Mays vs Kyle Schwarber: 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; Kyle Schwarber has played 2015–present 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 Kyle Schwarber (2015–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Kyle Schwarber has 1,185 hits and 385 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Kyle Schwarber's 385.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Kyle Schwarber's .848.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Kyle Schwarber's .231.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Kyle Schwarber's 1,185.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Kyle Schwarber's 881.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Kyle Schwarber's 16,082.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Willie Mays
Kyle Schwarber
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Kyle Schwarber. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kyle Schwarber is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Kyle Schwarber |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,447 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 5,125 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 895 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 1,185 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 195 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 15 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 385 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 881 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 869 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,747 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .231 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .347 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .848 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Kyle Schwarber 74,062 to 16,082 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,340, across 24 seasons to 12. 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
Kyle Schwarber — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Kyle Schwarber 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 Kyle Schwarber careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Mays played 1951–1973, Kyle Schwarber 2015–present. Willie Mays has the far longer record, 3,005 games against 1,447 across 24 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie Mays. Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Kyle Schwarber struck out more than walked (1,747 to 869). Home runs make up a larger share of Kyle Schwarber's hits: 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays, 385 of 1,185 for Kyle Schwarber. Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Willie Mays's slugging percentage of .557 tops Kyle Schwarber's .500. Because Kyle Schwarber is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Mays vs Kyle Schwarber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Kyle Schwarber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Kyle Schwarber in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Kyle Schwarber hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Kyle Schwarber's 385.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Kyle Schwarber's .848.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Kyle Schwarber's .231.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Kyle Schwarber's 1,185.