Who was a better 5 tool player Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle?

March 3, 2010 by admin · 11 Comments
Filed under: Baseball 
power tool
Carlos Beltran asked:

Seems now a days most guys are one dimensional and specialize in one tool..But cant combine great power,high batting average,play great defense and run like the wind and have a cannon arm..
(Maybe Hanley Ramirez but Pujols is a turtle on the bases..)
Back in the old days there was Mantle and Mays..
So which of these was a better 5 tool player?
BTW i have no idea why Mick never stole bases considering Yogi Berra said he ran like a horse…

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11 Responses to “Who was a better 5 tool player Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle?”
  1. richnieh says:
    March 6, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    Never seen they play so I don’t know.

    At the moment, I think Hanley Ramirez is the best five tool player or Carlos Beltran if he can stay healthy. Beltran might win BA title in 2009 over Hanley if he could stay healthy. richnieh

  2. Michael M says:
    March 9, 2010 at 10:10 am

    I am 50 and saw both play. Willie Mays was by far superior. Even Mickey said Willie was a better player. Mantle could hit from either site, but even as a rightie Willie was an amazing player.
    He messed up his records when he came to the mets for a brief period in the 1970s. All his numbers suffered due to that experience. Michael M

  3. Bert Weidemeier says:
    March 11, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    Willie Mays was the better of the 2 players by far. Bert Weidemeier

  4. kazera says:
    March 14, 2010 at 10:11 am

    Willie Mays is the greatest 5-tool player of all time.

    This honor may have been given to someone named Bonds, had he remained clean, legit, and continued stealing 20-30 bases a season into the mid-2000’s.

    I consider Ken Griffey Jr. to have been a better player than Mantle. Junior was also plagued by injuries for maybe more than half of his career, hit for +.300 much of his career, had a tremendous line-drive homerun stroke to all fields, stole bases and of course, could field the ball with the best ever and had a cannon of an arm. He won 10 consecutive gold gloves and will finish 100 more homeruns than Mantle, and will top him in virtually every offensive category, aside from AVG, SLG & OBP.

    Some of those who saw Joe DiMaggio play, consider him to have been better than Mantle, due to his superb baserunning, throwing, fielding skills. Mantle had more raw power and stolen bases, and thus is considered by many today, to be statistically superior to DiMaggio. kazera

  5. sarrafzedehkhoee says:
    March 16, 2010 at 12:02 am

    Willie Mays was better longer, but for 5 or 6 years there Mantle was at least as good. sarrafzedehkhoee

  6. TexHabs007 says:
    March 16, 2010 at 6:07 pm

    Mays by a country mile, but let’s not forget Roberto Clemente TexHabs007

  7. Utter Chaos says:
    March 19, 2010 at 7:07 pm

    Mantle could have been but he injured a knee early in his career and other injuries and constant partying took away some of his ability.

    Mantle didn’t steal a lot because the Yankees were a power hitting team and never had the need to steal bases. Mantle did lead the team in SB 7 times between 1954-1961 including 1959 when he had 46.67% of the SB the whole team had. While Mantle didn’t steal a lot of bases he was successful 80% of the time compared to 76.6% for Mays. Another reason Mantle didn’t steal much is he was followed in the lineup by Yogi Berra. Berra was a free swinging player who didn’t strike out a lot so he generally made contact with the ball before Mick had a chance to steal.

    I wouldn’t say Mays was MUCH better. From what I’ve read, during their peaks, Mantle had the edge in HR and Average while Mays was better with the Glove. I didn’t see their arm strength so I can’t comment on that. Mays stole more but Mantle was more successful. Mays’ peak also lasted a few more years than Mantle which increased his career totals.

    So in summary, Mays was the better 5 tool player but Mantle could have been. Utter Chaos

  8. T-Kane says:
    March 22, 2010 at 11:37 am

    Willie Mays. T-Kane

  9. blueyeznj says:
    March 25, 2010 at 5:10 pm

    Mays was a better 5 tool player, but barely. He was a better fielder with a stronger arm. Although Mays ended up with more home runs, there’s no doubt that Mantle was a better - and more feared - power hitter. Their career averages were about the same, but I’d give Mantle the batting average nod based upon peak performance. Finally, we come to speed. Before knee injuries took their toll, Mantle was one of the fastest, if not THE fastest, runner in baseball. But injuries have ruined a lot of players, so it’s not really a valid argument to give Mantle the speed edge based upon what could have been. Therefore, with this I’d give Mays the nod.

    It’s always been a raging debate over who was a better ballplayer. Clearly, Mays had superior overall career numbers. However, in his prime, Mantle was better. I don’t think that’s debatable. So who would you want? A player who will give you fewer total seasons, but absolutely monster seasons in his prime or a player who will give you more seasons at the top of his game, but never any seasons which match those monster seasons of the other guy? It’s a tough choice. And the fun part is, you really don’t lose either way. blueyeznj

  10. OnPitRow says:
    March 26, 2010 at 11:10 am

    Mays for two reasons. He stayed healthy, and played much longer. And he wasn’t a Yankee. OnPitRow

  11. 18 gibbs 20 says:
    March 29, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    I saw both. Mantle was my hero as a kid but Mays was better all around. Mickey’s knees were just too bad. 18 gibbs 20

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