Last Updated: October 20th, 2026 by Matthew Brown
By many accounts, Willie Mays is the greatest player baseball has ever seen. I understand that a lot of time has passed and there are many more opinions out there about many other players in history, but I want to take a look at what made the Say Hey Kid so great.
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We no longer have this legend around to celebrate, so we will celebrate some of the great contributions he made in his amazing life.
10. The Catch That Flabbergasted 54,000 Fans at the Polo Grounds
I think the more time that passes, the less fans will be able to realize what made this catch so incredible. Center field at Polo Grounds basically felt endless. An outfielder being able to sprint all the way back to the wall and make a catch was unfathomable.
I know that video footage was nowhere near what we have now, but I still think replays of this catch are as fun to watch as any other highlight from today's players.
9. Willie’s Basket Catch Becomes Baseball’s Signature Style
The fallout from that all-time World Series moment irked youth coaches for a bit. Kids started trying to emulate that catch during practice and in games, making some routine fly balls look like long drives. Really, though, kids were just being kids, and it only helped increase their passion for this great game of baseball.
8. When Mays Stole Second, Third, and Home in One Inning
With his elite combination of offense and defense, it was a treat to witness the greatness of Willie Mays in multiple facets. His speed was his most dazzling asset, as he displayed it in Pittsburgh in 1957.
He basically manufactured his own run by getting on base and stealing the next three before the inning ended. This led the crowd to wonder what he couldn't do on a baseball diamond.
7. The Hat-Flying Sprint That Became Willie’s Trademark
Another aspect of Mays' speed was the hustle he played with every game. Many times, as he was sprinting from base to base, his hat would fly off, illustrating that he was running as hard as he could and harder than most players in the game.
This encouraged kids to fly around the bases too, sometimes flipping their cap off of their heads unnecessarily. Anything to feel like the greatest in the game.
6. Four Home Runs in Milwaukee That Had Fans Checking Their Scorecards
For all the talk of how great a single performance can be in baseball, I think that hitting four home runs in a game is right at the top. The list isn't very long of sluggers who have been able to do it.
The Say Hey Kid was able to join that list in 1961 and add to the even longer list of accomplishments he's done in his career.
5. 3,000+ Hits
For a player to have so much power, speed, and defensive ability, the accomplishment of 3,000 hits is even more impressive. There was a ceremony when Mays reached the milestone in 1970, showing how much he was appreciated by fans, players, coaches, and executives.
I don't even know when we'll be able to see another player reach this mark in today's game.
4. The Leaping Catch That Nearly Took Him AND Bobby Bonds Out
Even at 39 years of age, Willie Mays was making spectacular plays. With his teammate, Bobby Bonds, converging on a fly ball, Mays leaped, caught the ball, collided with Bonds, and still held onto the ball.
He was knocked unconscious in the moment, showing the sacrifices he was willing to make for the game of baseball.
3. Willie’s Go-Ahead Homer in His Return to New York
Since the Giants moved from New York to San Francisco during his career, Mays had to adapt to the West Coast for a bit. Meanwhile, a new team, the New York Mets, began play and ended up landing the legend in a deal that brought him back to the city to end his career.
Mays would hit a home run in his return to New York and debut in good ol' Shea Stadium.
2. Homer No. 600
Again, for his size and speed, the amount of power Willie Mays displayed was truly awe-inspiring. He hit his 600th home run in 1969, cementing his place among the very greatest sluggers ever.
With all the things he was able to do on a baseball field, this should have been impossible, but it wasn't for this man.
1. The Final Regular Season At-Bat That Brought Shea Stadium to Its Feet
In his 23rd and final season, Willie Mays was shown love and appreciation from the fans of baseball. He honored the game in such a way that many fans wanted to honor him back.
So his final at-bat was definitely a special one in front of a packed crowd at Shea Stadium in a city where it all started.
