Who was a better player Babe Ruth or Willie Mays?

Question

Who was a better player Babe Ruth or Willie Mays?

Answer 1

Babe Ruth might have been a hall of fame pitcher if he kept pitching. His pitching didn't affect his stats. His last year as a pitcher was 1919, the last year of the dead ball era. Plus pitchers in those days didn't just pitch once a week and whine about being sore.

As far as comparing Ruth and Mays, it's really hard to compare players from different eras. Mays was faster...that's all you can say.

And to anyone who says Ruth was just a home run hitter: his career batting average WAS .342, compared to Mays's .302.

Answer 2

Babe Ruth..imagine what he could have done with todays longer schedules and more active baseballs..back then the balls were heavier..the uniforms were heavier..

Answer 3

Mays was unbelievable but I would have to go with Ruth. What gets overlooked because of his home runs was the fact that he was an excellent athlete who was a good overall hitter (.342 lifetime and never struck out 100 times in a year) and was pretty decent in the outfield (over 200 lifetime assists). To go along with that, he won 95 games on the mound and for a long time held the record for most consecutive shutout innings in a World Series. Just a great all-around baseball player.

Answer 4

The Babe was great for baseball at a time when the game really needed him.  Ruth had a slight advantage over Mays in power and average but every other aspect of the game, including speed and all the defensive categories, goes to Mays in a landslide.  Ruth would be the sentimental pick of many but Mays was the better player when considering every aspect of the game.  In fact, Mays might just be the best player to ever play the game.

Answer 5

Babe Ruth is and always will be an icon but the better player was Mays.. Hands Down. He could run, Hit for average, Hit for power and field like no other. Ruth was great but if I were picking a team I'd have to go with Mays. Too many problems with Ruth with Mays youre getting the whole package.

Answer 6

Better overall. Mays

Both were tremendous players and HR hitters (1374 HRs between them). I say Mays based on the longivity and he was far supirior w/his glove

Answer 7

the say hey kid

Answer 8

Willie Mays was the better "all around player," all Babe Ruth did was hit HRs. Willie did that too, and much more.

Answer 9

You are kidding. Right?

Willie Mays is/was the best centerfielder of all time.

But, how many winning games did he pitch, and for whom.

Babe Ruth overshadows any one that ever played the game.

Name a hitting or pitching record that is not compared to Ruth.

Kind of tough to do isn't it.

Answer 10

I would say Mays.  Ruth hit the home runs, and was a great pitcher for the first three years of his career.   But Mays, according to Hall of Fame Baseball Broadcaster Ernie Harwell, was, "The best overall player I have ever seen."  In Mays was the complete package.  He hit for average, slugged for power, stole bases, and won many gold gloves.  Players like that are extremely, extremely, rare, and Mays was the best there ever was overall as the baseball player who was the complete package.

Answer 11

The Bambino.  You know, he is considered the greatest baseball player of all time.

Answer 12

Babe Ruth by a very long shot. Not even close. People saying Mays don't know their Baseball history.

Answer 13

I would go with Babe.  The man started out as a pitcher, and he was supposedly an excellent pitcher. We all know he can hit as well. Who knows how many homers he could have hit if he didn't start out as a pitcher.

Answer 14

Willie Mays was a better overall player.