Willie Mays, who was one of baseball's most colourful and exciting stars, has died at the age of 93.

The San Francisco Giants announced Tuesday that he "passed away peacefully" this afternoon.

A two-time MVP and 20-time All-Star in his 22 MLB seasons - spent almost entirely with the New York/San Francisco Giants - many considered Mays to be the greatest living baseball player. He was baseball's oldest living Hall of Famer.

Nicknamed the "Say Hey Kid," Mays made an immediate impact, winning the 1951 Rookie of the Year Award. He finished his career with 660 home runs, 3,283 hits, 1,903 RBIs and a .302 batting average.

An elite defensive centre fielder, he won 12 Gold Gloves and made one of the most famous catches in baseball history. In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, while playing centre field, Mays tracked down a deep fly ball by running with his back to the infield toward the warning track to make a thrilling over-the shoulder catch.