Hank Aaron vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1930s respectively and share 7 seasons. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Hank Aaron, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Ted Williams's 1,839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Hank Aaron's 78,640.
Hank Aaron
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Ted Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,298 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats not scored | 12,364 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 521 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams leads Hank Aaron 96,302 to 78,640 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 3,419 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Hank Aaron's 23. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Hank Aaron leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Ted Williams leads 5: walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Ted Williams higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Ted Williams careers compare
Hank Aaron and Ted Williams were active at the same time between 1954 and 1960. With 3,298 games against 2,292 across 23 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), and Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). On the bases, Hank Aaron stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 24 in 2,292 for Ted Williams). Ted Williams's slugging percentage of .634 tops Hank Aaron's .555.
Hank Aaron vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Ted Williams in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Ted Williams's 2,654.