Willie Mays vs Mike Trout: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Mike Trout has played 2011–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 Mike Trout (2011–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; Mike Trout has 1,878 hits and 426 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 Mike Trout's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mike Trout, with .963 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Mike Trout's .290.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Mike Trout's 1,878.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Mike Trout's 1,072.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Mike Trout's 44,462.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Mike Trout's 0.
Willie Mays
Mike Trout
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Mike Trout. 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.
Mike Trout is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Mike Trout |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 1,790 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 6,480 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,282 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 1,878 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 351 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 426 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,072 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,174 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,828 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 225 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .405 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .558 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: .963 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Mike Trout 74,062 to 44,462 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 2,964, across 24 seasons to 15. 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
Mike Trout — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Trout 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 Mike Trout careers compare
Willie Mays (1951–1973) was finished before Mike Trout (2011–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Willie Mays has the far longer record, 3,005 games against 1,790 across 24 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Mike Trout comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.405 to .384), slugging percentage (.558 to .557), and OPS (.963 to .940). Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468); Mike Trout struck out more than walked (1,828 to 1,174). On the bases, Mike Trout stole more often per game played (339 steals in 3,005 games for Willie Mays, 225 in 1,790 for Mike Trout). Because Mike Trout is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Mays vs Mike Trout: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Mike Trout?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Mike Trout in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Mike Trout hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Mike Trout's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mike Trout, with .963 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Mike Trout's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Mike Trout's 1,878.