Willie Mays vs George Springer: 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; George Springer has played 2014–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 George Springer (2014–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; George Springer has 1,595 hits and 308 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 George Springer's 308.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to George Springer's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to George Springer's .265.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to George Springer's 1,595.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to George Springer's 850.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to George Springer's 16,439.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Willie Mays
George Springer
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and George Springer. 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.
George Springer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | George Springer |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,571 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 6,017 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,041 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 1,595 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 272 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 25 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 308 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 850 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 723 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,410 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 132 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .265 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .472 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .823 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces George Springer 74,062 to 16,439 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,370, 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
George Springer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Springer 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 George Springer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and George Springer debuted in 2014. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Mays appeared in 3,005 games to George Springer's 1,571. Every scored category on the table goes to Willie Mays. Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); George Springer struck out more than walked (1,410 to 723). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Willie Mays's slugging percentage of .557 tops George Springer's .472. Because George Springer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Mays vs George Springer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or George Springer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads George Springer in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or George Springer hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to George Springer's 308.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to George Springer's .823.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to George Springer's .265.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to George Springer's 1,595.