Willie Mays vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Willie Mays played 1951–1973 as a hitter; Billy Williams played 1959–1976 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 Billy Williams (1959–1976) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Billy Williams finished with 2,711 hits and 426 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 Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Billy Williams's 1,475.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Billy Williams's 44,022.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Billy Williams's 0.
Willie Mays
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Billy Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,410 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 88 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 426 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,475 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,045 |
| Strikeouts | 1,526 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Billy Williams 74,062 to 44,022 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,086 vs 2,446 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Williams 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
Willie Mays vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Billy Williams in 14 of 14 categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Billy Williams's 2,711.