Willie Mays vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 13 seasons. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 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 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Mays, with 660 to Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Carl Yastrzemski's 1,844.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Carl Yastrzemski's 54,310.
Willie Mays
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,005 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats not scored | 10,924 | 11,988 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,816 |
| Hits | 3,293 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 452 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,468 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Carl Yastrzemski 74,062 to 54,310 — driven by per-season impact — 3,220 PIV per season to 2,361 — rather than by longevity, since Willie Mays played 23 seasons to Carl Yastrzemski'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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Willie Mays leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, triples, home runs, RBI, and others. Carl Yastrzemski leads 3: hits, doubles, and walks. 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The careers of Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) overlapped from 1961 to 1973, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Carl Yastrzemski are hits (3,419 to 3,293), doubles (646 to 525), and walks (1,845 to 1,468). Plate discipline differs: Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts).
Willie Mays vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Carl Yastrzemski in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Willie Mays's 3,293.