Willie Mays vs Ichiro Suzuki: 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Willie Mays
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,653 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,420 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 362 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 339 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 74,062 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 334, across 24 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ichiro Suzuki owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Mays played 1951–1973, Ichiro Suzuki 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki across 24 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ichiro Suzuki comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (509 to 339) and batting average (.311 to .301). At the plate, Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), and Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Mays's hits: 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki.
Willie Mays vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Ichiro Suzuki in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.