Willie Mays vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 13 statistical categories compared on this page. Willie Mays played 1951–1973 as a hitter; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 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 Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Ted Williams's 1,839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Willie Mays's 74,062.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
Willie Mays
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Ted 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 | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,924 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | 525 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 521 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,468 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts | 1,526 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .301 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .940 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams leads Willie Mays 96,302 to 74,062 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,069 vs 3,086 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ted Williams owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Mays. Note that PIV actually grades Ted Williams ahead, which means Willie Mays's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Willie Mays vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Ted Williams in 8 of 13 categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Willie Mays's .940.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Willie Mays's .301.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Ted Williams's 2,654.