More than two years after his death in June 2024, aged 93, Willie Mays is still the name many baseball people reach for when asked who was the best they ever saw. He could hit for average and power, run, throw and field like nobody else, and his official numbers have even grown since MLB folded Negro league statistics into its records.
The Say Hey Kid hit 660 home runs, won two MVP awards and made the most famous catch in World Series history. Here is his story. Explore more diamond legends in our baseball collection.
Willie Mays Fact File
| Full name | Willie Howard Mays Jr. |
| Date of birth | 6 May 1931 |
| Place of birth | Westfield, Alabama, USA |
| Died | 18 June 2024, Palo Alto, California, aged 93 |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Position | Centre fielder (bats and throws right) |
| Nationality | American |
| Status | Baseball Hall of Fame (1979) |
| Shirt number | 24 |
| Nickname | The Say Hey Kid |
Career History
| Years | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Birmingham Black Barons | Negro American League |
| 1951–52, 1954–57 | New York Giants | 1951 Rookie of the Year; 1954 World Series and MVP |
| 1952–54 | US Army | Missed most of 1952 and all of 1953 |
| 1958–72 | San Francisco Giants | 1965 MVP; 12 straight Gold Gloves |
| 1972–73 | New York Mets | Final season and 1973 World Series |
Career totals (including his 1948 Negro league season, now recognised by MLB): 3,293 hits, 660 home runs, 1,909 RBI, 339 stolen bases and a .301 batting average.
Early Years: Alabama and the Black Barons
Born in Westfield, Alabama, Mays was a teenager when he joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League in 1948. The New York Giants signed him soon after, and he made his major league debut on 25 May 1951, aged 20.
He was named National League Rookie of the Year that season, before military service took him away for most of 1952 and all of 1953.
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Breakthrough: The Catch, 1954
Mays returned in 1954 and was immediately the best player in the league, winning the NL MVP. In Game 1 of the World Series at the Polo Grounds, he sprinted back to catch Vic Wertz's drive over his shoulder around 460 feet from home plate. The Catch helped the Giants sweep Cleveland, and it remains baseball's most famous defensive play.
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Peak: San Francisco Superstar
When the Giants moved west in 1958, Mays went with them and kept on producing. He won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1957 to 1968, was All-Star Game MVP in 1963 and 1968, and claimed a second NL MVP award in 1965.
He was picked for 24 All-Star Games, and by the end of his career he had 660 home runs, then the third-highest total in history.
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Later Career: Back to New York
In 1972 Mays was traded to the New York Mets, bringing him back to the city where his career began. He played his final game in September 1973 and stayed on as a Mets coach until 1979, the year he was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot with nearly 95 per cent of the vote.
Honours
Team
- World Series champion: 1954 (New York Giants)
Individual
- NL Rookie of the Year: 1951
- NL MVP: 1954, 1965
- All-Star Game MVP: 1963, 1968
- 24 All-Star selections
- 12 Gold Gloves (1957–1968)
Halls of Fame & National
- Baseball Hall of Fame: 1979 (first ballot)
- MLB All-Century Team: 1999
- Presidential Medal of Freedom: 2015
Away From the Game
Mays founded the Say Hey Foundation to support young people through baseball and education. In 2015 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and both the Giants (1972) and the Mets (2022) have retired his No. 24.
FAQs
How old was Willie Mays when he died?
Willie Mays died on 18 June 2024 in Palo Alto, California, aged 93.
Where was Willie Mays born?
He was born in Westfield, Alabama, on 6 May 1931.
How tall was Willie Mays?
Mays was 5 ft 10 in, about 1.78 m.
What teams did Willie Mays play for?
He played for the Birmingham Black Barons, the New York and San Francisco Giants, and the New York Mets.
How many home runs did Willie Mays hit?
He hit 660 career home runs, alongside 3,293 hits and 1,909 RBI.
What was The Catch?
In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, Mays made an over-the-shoulder catch of Vic Wertz's deep drive at the Polo Grounds, one of the most famous plays in baseball history.
Shop the Willie Mays Collection
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Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle.
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