Willie Mays vs Robin Yount: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Robin Yount played 1974–1993 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 Robin Yount (1974–1993) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs; Robin Yount finished with 3,142 hits and 251 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 Robin Yount's 251.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Robin Yount's .772.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Robin Yount's .285.
- Who had more hits? Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Robin Yount's 3,142.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Mays, with 1,909 to Robin Yount's 1,406.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Robin Yount's 18,665.
- Who won more championships? Willie Mays, with 1 World Series title to Robin Yount's 0.
Willie Mays
Robin Yount
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays and Robin Yount. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Mays | Robin Yount |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,005 | 2,856 |
| At-Bats | 10,924 | Leads: 11,008 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,632 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,293 | 3,142 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 583 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 126 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 660 | 251 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,909 | 1,406 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 966 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,350 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 271 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .430 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .772 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays outpaces Robin Yount 74,062 to 18,665 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 933, across 24 seasons to 20. 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
Robin Yount — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Robin Yount 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
How the Willie Mays and Robin Yount careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Mays played 1951–1973, Robin Yount 1974–1993. With 3,005 games against 2,856 across 24 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Robin Yount are at-bats (11,008 to 10,924) and doubles (583 to 525). At the plate, Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), and Robin Yount struck out more than walked (1,350 to 966). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Mays's hits: 660 of 3,293 for Willie Mays, 251 of 3,142 for Robin Yount.
Willie Mays vs Robin Yount: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Robin Yount?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Robin Yount in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Robin Yount hit more home runs?
- Willie Mays, with 660 to Robin Yount's 251.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Robin Yount's .772.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Robin Yount's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Mays, with 3,293 to Robin Yount's 3,142.