Willie Mays vs Juan Soto: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Juan Soto has played 2018–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 Juan Soto (2018–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; Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 home runs through October 6, 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 Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Soto, with .945 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Juan Soto's 27,584.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Willie Mays
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Juan Soto. 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.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Juan Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,207 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 4,257 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 838 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 1,196 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 210 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 18 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 271 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 765 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 974 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 898 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 104 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .281 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .415 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .530 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: .945 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Juan Soto 74,062 to 27,584 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 3,065, across 24 seasons to 9. 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
Juan Soto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Juan Soto owns OBP and OPS. 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 Juan Soto careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Juan Soto debuted in 2018. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Mays appeared in 3,005 games to Juan Soto's 1,207. Juan Soto's edges on the table are on-base percentage (.415 to .384) and OPS (.945 to .940). Plate discipline differs: Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), but Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Willie Mays holds the edge, .557 to .530. Juan Soto's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Willie Mays vs Juan Soto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Juan Soto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Juan Soto in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Juan Soto hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Soto, with .945 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Juan Soto's 1,196.