Willie Mays vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1950s and the 1930s respectively and share 10 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Willie Mays, in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,005 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 3,220 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Willie Mays's 23. 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
Willie Mays leads 6 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, triples, home runs, and others. Ted Williams leads 5: walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and others. 1 is tied. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Mays. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Ted Williams higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Mays and Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1951 to 1960, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 23 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .482 to .384.
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 6 of the 12 scored 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.