Willie Mays vs Fernando Tatis: 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; Fernando Tatis has played 2019–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 Fernando Tatis (2019–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; Fernando Tatis has 901 hits and 177 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 Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Fernando Tatis's .860.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Fernando Tatis's 901.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Fernando Tatis's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Fernando Tatis's 9,648.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Fernando Tatis's 0.
Willie Mays
Fernando Tatis
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Fernando Tatis. 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.
Fernando Tatis is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Fernando Tatis |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 830 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 3,229 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 572 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 901 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 168 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 15 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 177 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 357 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 820 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 162 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .505 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .860 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Fernando Tatis 74,062 to 9,648 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 1,608, across 24 seasons to 6. 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
Fernando Tatis — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fernando Tatis 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 Fernando Tatis careers compare
Willie Mays (1951–1973) was finished before Fernando Tatis (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 3,005 games of Willie Mays with 830 of Fernando Tatis across 24 and 6 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Willie Mays leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), and Fernando Tatis struck out more than walked (820 to 357). On the bases, Fernando Tatis stole more often per game played (339 steals in 3,005 games for Willie Mays, 162 in 830 for Fernando Tatis). Willie Mays's slugging percentage of .557 tops Fernando Tatis's .505. Because Fernando Tatis is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Mays vs Fernando Tatis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Fernando Tatis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Fernando Tatis in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Fernando Tatis hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Fernando Tatis's 177.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Fernando Tatis's .860.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Fernando Tatis's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Fernando Tatis's 901.