He added, “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”

A New Yorker and San Francisco star through and through, Mays spent most of his career with the New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-1972) and later played for the New York Mets (1972-1973). Regarded as a true legend, here are some of the stats and accolades Mays was known for:

Willie Mays Stats

Willie Mays, one of baseball’s greatest players, had a remarkable career filled with numerous achievements and records. Here are some key statistics and highlights from his illustrious career:

Major League Career:

• Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-1972), New York Mets (1972-1973).
• Position: Center fielder.

Batting Statistics:

• Games Played: 2,992.
• Batting Average: .302.
• Hits: 3,283.
• Home Runs: 660.
• Runs Batted In (RBIs): 1,903.
• Stolen Bases: 338.
• On-Base Percentage: .384.
• Slugging Percentage: .557.
• OPS (On-base Plus Slugging): .941.

Accolades and Awards:

• All-Star Selections: 24-time All-Star (tied for the most All-Star selections in MLB history).
• Gold Glove Awards: 12 (for outstanding fielding as a center fielder).
• National League Most Valuable Player (MVP): 2-time winner (1954, 1965).
• World Series Championships: 1 (with the Giants in 1954).
• Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1979, receiving 94.7% of the vote.

Career Achievements:

• 20-20-20-20 Club: One of two players (alongside Barry Bonds) to hit at least 20 doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases in a single season (1957).
• 500 Home Runs and 3,000 Hits Club: Achieved both milestones during his career.
• Legendary Catch: Known for “The Catch” in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, where he made a famous over-the-shoulder catch in deep center field.

Legacy:

• Willie Mays is often regarded as one of the greatest all-around players in baseball history.
• He was known for his exceptional hitting, speed on the bases, and outstanding defensive skills.
• Mays’ impact on the game extended beyond statistics, influencing generations of players and fans alike.

Mike Schmidt was a consistent home run hitter and ranks 16th in the all-time list with 548 home runs. Miguel Cabrera, who is still active, has hit 487 home runs during Baseball’s modern era. Then you have Carl Yastrzemski who played in the 1970’s and hit 452 homers in his career. Ranked 107 is Darryl Strawberry, who had one of the most elegant swings in MLB history , he was able to hit 335 home runs, despite his off the field issues.

So, who are the all-time home run leaders in MLB history? Well, the list includes legends like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and current standout Albert Pujols. Let’s take a look at the magnificent seven, the top 7 home runs kings in the MLB.

7. Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey, Jr. hit 630 career home runs, Griffey was synonymous with the Seattle Mariners, and was the AL home run leader on four occasions. Griffey was the total package, he could hit, run, and field.

6. Willie Mays

The fantastic Willie Mays hit 660 homers in his career with the Giants and Mets. Mays also was the NL home run king on four occasions, and he was the National League’s stolen base leader 4-times as well. One of baseball’s most legendary figures.

5. Albert Pujols

The only active player on this list, Albert Pujols has hit 662 homers in his career, and at 41 he could still reach that 670 home run milestone with a full season of baseball. Pujols was a two-time NL home run leader and three-time NL MVP.

4. Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez doesn’t get the credit he deserves at times, for whatever reason Rodriguez gets a lot of heat for his time with the Yankees, where he won a World Series in 2009. Rodriguez’s body of work shows that he hit 696 home runs, just four shy of hitting 700. A power hitter Rodriguez is among the best in baseball history with the bat in his hands.

3. Babe Ruth

The Babe played in a different era, Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs in his career, say what you want about the times, whatever era, Ruth had a lifestyle that no athlete that wants to be on top of his game should have. He partied, drank, and would spend his nights in brothels. Nonetheless the Babe was the home run king for over 30 years.

2. Hank Aaron

To many the legitimate home run king, Hank Aaron broke many barriers, not just hitting home runs, which were a total of 755. Aaron was a 25! time all-star, a slugger like no other, Aaron had a batting average of .305!

1. Barry Bonds

Statistically speaking Barry Bonds is the MLB’s home run king with 762 total HRs. Unfortunately, many purists have requested an asterisk be put on that number due to Bonds using steroids to perform better on the field. Still as far as the MLB is concerned Bonds is the Home Run King.

As the decades passed and some of the early cards became very valuable, the introduction of price guides and the internet has helped many collectors find precious cards and also sell them at a very high price.

Some sports trading cards are worth well over 3 million dollars, with the famous Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card not even cracking the top 20 most valuable cards! Want to know who made the cut? Take a look at the most valuable sports trading cards on the market.

20. 1952 Topps Willie Mays – $509,217

In May of 2016, the Topps 1952 Willie Mays card was auctioned off at $509, 217, the card itself was the first Topps card to feature Willie Mays. While not his rookie card it is still very valuable as he would join the U.S. Army in May of that year.

Mays was a 24-time All-Star, 2-time National League MVP, the 1952 batting champion, and a four-time stolen base leader. He only won one World Series in 1954 with the San Francisco Giants.

19. 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente – $509,217

The adjusted price for the Roberto Clemente 1955 Topps card is $509,217. The card is presented in a horizontal image, rare in Baseball cards, and it is extremely valuable due to itbeing Clemente’s rookie card.

Clemente was a two-time World Series winner,15-time All-Star, 12-time Golden Glove award winner, and a four-time National League batting champion. His career was cut short at age 38 when he died in a plane crash en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

18. 1909-1911 T206 Ty Cobb – $520,323

In reality, the Ty Cobb card is a set of 4 cards, and some of the most desired collectors cards on the planet. The cards come with two different portraits and are valued at well over half a million dollars.

Cobb himself was an MVP, 12-time batting champion, 6-time stolen base leader, and MLB all century team. In 1994 his life was portrayed on the big screen by Tommy Lee Jones in the movie Cobb.

17. 1969/70 Topps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – $534, 678

In reality, the card has Kareem’s given name of Lew Alcindor, and it is the only rookie card of the best offensive player in NBA history. The card was auctioned in 2016 and today has a value of $534,678.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was towering at 7′ 2″, he won six NBA titles with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He is a six-time NBA MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, and 19-time All-Star.

16. 1910 Old Mill Shoeless Joe Jackson – $600,000

One of the rarest baseball cards in the world, and only a handful weremade during his playing days. Shoeless Joe Jackson is featured as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, a minor league team.

Jackson won one World Series with the Chicago White Sox, but he was also involved in the Black Sox scandal after the 1919 World Series where he, along with seven other teammates were accused of accepting bribes to throw the series. In 1920 he was acquitted of the allegations.

15. 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth – $640,343

Another rarity the card features Ruth as a pitcher and the reverse has a schedule for the team that season. At the time the Baltimore News made two sets of the two local teams, the Orioles and the Terrapins of the Federal League.

Babe Ruth is considered by many the greatest Baseball player to ever play. He won seven World Series, a twelve-time home run leader, and a 94 win pitcher. The Babe did it all!

14. 1968 Topps Jerry Koosman/Nolan Ryan – $652,352

Two great pitchers on one baseball card have made this card so valuable. For Ryan, it was his rookie card and it is one of the most sought after cards in this collection. The card has been printed numerous times but the one pictured is the true original print.

Nolan Ryan was a monster on the mound. He recorded well over 5,000 strikeouts, he was an 8-time All-Star, two time National League ERA leader, and a one time World Series champion.

13. 1909-1911 T206 Sherry Magee – $671,983

The T206 set is extremely valuable and is considered the most important card setby collectors. It is considered one of the “The Big Three” in the world of baseball cards.

Sherry Magee hit over 2,000 hits, 83 home runs, and won the World Series with the Cincinnati Reds. In 1911, Magee punched an umpire in a dispute over a third strike call, knocking him unconscious. He was suspended for 36 games.

12. 1909 American Caramel Shoeless Joe Jackson – $710,719

To many collectors this is Shoeless Joe Jackson’s rookie card, the card came with hard caramel candy treats. Jackson got his nickname when he removed his cleats after suffering a painful blister during a game. He walked to the plate without his shoes.

In the movie Field of Dreams, Jackson is portrayed by Ray Liotta, the film is about an Iowa farmer who hears a mysterious voice telling him to build a baseball field on his farm so various baseball players of the past can play once again.

11. 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle – $763,616

The card is the only recognized rookie card of Mickey Mantle. It was auctioned off in 2018 and sold for more than $700,000. The card is known to have many print lines and wax stains.

Mickey Mantle is a Yankee icon, he was a 20-time All-Star, seven-time World Champion, three-timeAmerican League MVP, and 1956 triple crown winner. His number 7 jersey was retired by the Yankees.

10. 1963 Topps Pedro González / Ken McMullen / Pete Rose / Al Weis – $763,826

This card is the official rookie card of Pete Rose. The card was sold in 2016 by Heritage Auction for $717,000. In the 1980s many counterfeit cards appeared during the collector’s boom of the 80s.

Rose himself is one of Baseball’s most infamous players, while he had a great career he was banned from the game when accusations arose that he gambled on baseball games while he played for and managed the Reds.

9. 1916 M101-5 Sporting News Babe Ruth – $763,826

The Babe is once again on this list as his rookie card is worth well over $750,000. In this case, Ruth is pitching as a Boston Red Sox right before his move to the New York Yankees. The card is unique because it features a blank back.

Ruth pitched 107 complete games, he had 17 shutouts and a career ERA of 2.28. In World Series play he went 3-0 on the mound and he was moved to the outfield in 1918.

8. 1909–11 T206 Eddie Plank – $779,548

The second most important card of the T206 set and the only one of this hall of fame pitcher. In 2012, it was sold for $700,000 and it is a card that is very difficult to find, although the reasons are unknown.

Plank was one of the best left-handed pitchers at the time, he had 327 career wins and was the all-time leader in wins for a left-hander until the early 1960s. Plank won 20 or more games on eight separate occasions and has the most shutouts for a left-hander at 69.

7. 2003–04 Upper Deck LeBron James / Michael Jordan – $900,000

Two of basketball’s biggest icons on one card. LeBron James and Michael Jordan. The card is one of the highest amounts paid for a modern trading card.

Jordan and James need no introduction, they are considered two of the greatest NBA players of all time. Today the debate rages on as to who is the greatest between the two.

6. 2009 Bowman Mike Trout Red Refractor- $922,500

Mike Trout began his career in 2009, and this modern-day MLB slugger’s card sold for just under 1 million dollars. At the moment he is an 8-time All-Star, 3-time AL MVP, 2014 RBI AL leader, and got into the 30-30 club in 2012.

Trout is considered the best player of his generation, he has obtained an array of individual awards and his card is rumored to be sold for over $3 million dollars in the future.

5. 2003–04 Upper Deck LeBron James – $1,845,000

LeBron James rookie card is one of the most valuable trading cards in the world. The four-time NBA champion’s card sold for over 1.8 million dollars in 2020. It’s hard not to think LeBron’s rookie card wouldn’t go at a high value. He is the best basketball player of his generation.

LeBron is more than a basketball player, he has turned into an icon, an actor, a brand, a social activist. LeBron James is one of the most successful athletes of this century.

4. 2013–14 Panini Giannis Antetokounmpo – $1,857,300

Giannis Antetokounmpo has done a lot in his career, a two-time NBA MVP, a 4-time All-Star, 2020 Defensive player of the year. Giannis Antetokounmpo looks like the next big player of the NBA.

The Panini rookie card sold for over 1.8 million dollars in a 2020 auction and broke the record for a Basketball card set by LeBron James rookie card only a few months earlier.

3. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $2,932,287

Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Topps card is the most important baseball card in the industry of trading cards according to some. While not his rookie card the 1952 Topps card is one of the most sought-after cards in the world.

The card was sold by retired NFL player Evan Mathis. It went for just under three million dollars, it set the record for the sale of a post-war card.

2. 1909–11 T206 Honus Wagner – $3,323,760

Considered the most important baseball card of them all, the Honus Wagner card was owned by NHL great Wayne Gretzky and it was sold at $2,800,000 in 2007. It is a rare baseball card, although the reasons are not known, some believe it is due to the promotion of tobacco use to children during its time.

In 2016 it was auctioned off at 3.3 million dollars and it is believed that only 50 to 200 cards were ever produced. Wagner himself was an 8-time NL batting champion, a 5-time NL RBI leader, and a 5-time NL stolen base leader. He won 1 World Series in 1909.

1. 2009 Bowman Mike TroutSuperfractor – $3,936,000

The most expensive and most valuable trading card in the world belongs to Mike Trout and Bowman. The 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Mike Trout Superfractor Autograph went for just under four million dollars. The card was sold by gambling consultant David “Vegas Dave” Oancea.

Trout has spent his whole career with the Los Angeles Angels, and has already hit over 300 home runs, 1,000 hits, and has a batting average of .304.