Willie Mays dominated baseball throughout the 50s and 60s, amassing video game stats. But unlike Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, Mays could do it all. Being a five tool player, Mays was proficient at every aspect of the game, dominating both the offensive and defensive aspects during the Dead Ball Era. But is he the greatest all around player to ever play the game of baseball? Today, I’m going to analyze the five tools Willie Mays possessed, and compare them to the other greats of the game.

Speed

Willie Mays was a speedy boi, that’s for sure. In his 20 year career Mays stole 338 bases, along with leading the league in steals from 1956-1959. However, Mays’s speed isn’t just characterized by his steals. Mays scored over 100 runs in 12 straight seasons, and scored 99 during the 13th season. Now obviously Mays does not compare to the likes of Rickey Henderson and Lou Brick in terms of speed, but his base running was definitely well above average, especially during the early parts of his career. His power-speed is at 447.1, 3rd all time, showing his incredible speed and power combination.

Arm Strength

The 188 assists at centerfield speaks for itself. I mean, the dude was like Jackie Bradley Jr., you couldn’t run on him. His cannon of an arm was seen quite consistently in centerfield, as being an outfielder required him to have one. Tied for 58th all time in assists, his resume does not seem too impressive until you remember that most of those in front of him played in the Dead Ball Era, benefitting from more opportunities to throw runners out, and a more aggressive baserunning mindset.

Fielding

Willie Mays was obviously an incredible fielder during his career, winning 8 gold gloves and amassing a career fielding percentage of .981, proving his fielding capability. However, it’s hard to just use numbers to define ones greatness on the field. Sure, numbers play a part in our judgement, but it’s best to use experience to determine ones fielding capability. In the 1954 World Series, Willie Mays made what is perhaps the most famous play in World Series lore, catching a liner hit by Vic Wertz in Game 1. It was plays like these, plays that utilized both his speed and his defensive talent that defined his career in the field, and his dominance defensively wise was only rivaled by Bonds in the 90s. Mats also led the league in dWAR in 1954.

Hitting for Average

Willie Mats hit for a career average of .302, which while not super impressive occurred during the second Dead Ball Era, where pitchers like Bob Gibson dominated the hitters. I mean, freaking Yastrzemski led the league in 1968 with a .301 average. What the heck! Mays in his prime could hit liners at will, leading the league with a .345 average in just his third season. Mays had 3,283 hits in his career, a stat that usually shows longevity and not offensive capability, but his 136.8 career oWAR says a little something something about his offensive prowess.

Hitting for Power

Mays could hit for power. This fact can not be disputed at all. His 1,323 extra base hits are 4th all time, and as mentioned before his oWAR is 4th all time aswell. Oh, and we can’t forget his 660 home runs. Mays led the league in homers 4 times, hitting over 50 homers twice, a feat that was quite uncommon before McGwire and Sosa starting eating and drinking PEDs. Mays also led the league in slugging 5 times. It’s hard to use Mays’s stats and compare them to different eras because offense and pitching has adapted, so using his stats compared to his own league is the best way to compare.

Now obviously Mays’s strength was power, and his defense is nowhere near the best of all time. His speed is impressive but not overwhelming, and his arm was strong, but not insane. That’s what made him so good. His success in all aspects of the game made him the great player he is. While Bonds is statistically the greater player, his stats are inflated by both steroids and by playing in the most offensive era of baseball. So to me, although it is up to interpretation, Willie Mays is the greatest all around player of all time. Even greater than Bill Buckner.