Willie Mays vs Alfonso Soriano: 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; Alfonso Soriano played 1999–2014 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 Alfonso Soriano (1999–2014) — 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; Alfonso Soriano finished with 2,095 hits and 412 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 Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Alfonso Soriano's 1,159.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Alfonso Soriano's 13,727.
- Who won more championships? Alfonso Soriano, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Alfonso Soriano
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Alfonso Soriano. 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 | Alfonso Soriano |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,975 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 7,750 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,152 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,095 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 481 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 412 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,159 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 496 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,803 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 289 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .270 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .319 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .500 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .819 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Alfonso Soriano 74,062 to 13,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 807, across 24 seasons to 17. 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
Alfonso Soriano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Alfonso Soriano 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 Alfonso Soriano careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Mays played 1951–1973, Alfonso Soriano 1999–2014. The table compares 3,005 games of Willie Mays with 1,975 of Alfonso Soriano across 24 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie Mays. Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Alfonso Soriano struck out more than walked (1,803 to 496). Alfonso Soriano was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Willie Mays holds the edge, .384 to .319. Willie Mays owns the better peak by OPS: 1.078 OPS in 1954 for Willie Mays against .911 OPS in 2006 for Alfonso Soriano.
Willie Mays vs Alfonso Soriano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Alfonso Soriano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Alfonso Soriano in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Alfonso Soriano hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Alfonso Soriano's 412.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Alfonso Soriano's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Alfonso Soriano's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Alfonso Soriano's 2,095.