Willie Mays
The Say Hey Kid wasn't just the greatest all-around player of his generation — he might have been the greatest athlete, period. Mays combined 660 home runs with defense so spectacular it redefined what centerfield could be, all while posting a career OPS+ of 156 that places him among the elite offensive forces in baseball history.
What separated Mays from other superstars was his completeness. Those 12 Gold Gloves weren't ceremonial — he revolutionized outfield play with his basket catches and impossible throws. The 660 home runs came with a .301 average and blazing speed that terrorized opposing pitchers and catchers alike.
The numbers from his 1965 peak tell the story: a .317 average with 52 homers and an OPS+ of 185, meaning he was 85% better than league average. In an era of dominant pitching, Mays made hitting look effortless while patrolling centerfield like he owned it.
Career · Batting
23 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BBB | 13 | 43 | 0 | 6 | .233 | — | — |
| 1951 | NY1 | 121 | 464 | 20 | 68 | .274 | — | — |
| 1952 | NY1 | 34 | 127 | 4 | 23 | .236 | — | — |
| 1954 | NY1 | 151 | 565 | 41 | 110 | .345 | 1.078 | — |
| 1955 | NY1 | 152 | 580 | 51 | 127 | .319 | 1.059 | — |
| 1956 | NY1 | 152 | 578 | 36 | 84 | .296 | .926 | — |
| 1957 | NY1 | 152 | 585 | 35 | 97 | .333 | 1.033 | — |
| 1958 | SF | 152 | 600 | 29 | 96 | .347 | 1.002 | — |
| 1959 | SF | 151 | 575 | 34 | 104 | .313 | .964 | — |
| 1960 | SF | 153 | 595 | 29 | 103 | .319 | .936 | — |
| 1961 | SF | 154 | 572 | 40 | 123 | .308 | .977 | — |
| 1962 | SF | 162 | 621 | 49 | 141 | .304 | .999 | — |
| 1963 | SF | 157 | 596 | 38 | 103 | .314 | .962 | — |
| 1964 | SF | 157 | 578 | 47 | 111 | .296 | .990 | — |
| 1965 | SF | 157 | 558 | 52 | 112 | .317 | 1.043 | — |
| 1966 | SF | 152 | 552 | 37 | 103 | .288 | .924 | — |
| 1967 | SF | 141 | 486 | 22 | 70 | .263 | .787 | — |
| 1968 | SF | 148 | 498 | 23 | 79 | .289 | .860 | — |
| 1969 | SF | 117 | 403 | 13 | 58 | .283 | .798 | — |
| 1970 | SF | 139 | 478 | 28 | 83 | .291 | .897 | 126 |
| 1971 | SF | 136 | 417 | 18 | 61 | .271 | .907 | 133 |
| 1972 | NYM | 88 | 244 | 8 | 22 | .250 | .802 | 121 |
| 1973 | NYM | 66 | 209 | 6 | 25 | .211 | .647 | 92 |
| Career | 3005 | 10924 | 660 | 1909 | .301 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.