Carlos Beltran vs Bernie Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Carlos Beltran has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Carlos Beltran played 1998–2017 as a hitter; Bernie Williams played 1991–2006 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
Carlos Beltran (1998–2017) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) — both broke in during the 1990s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlos Beltran finished with 2,725 hits and 435 home runs; Bernie Williams finished with 2,336 hits and 287 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Bernie Williams's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bernie Williams, with .858 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bernie Williams, with .297 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits? Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Bernie Williams's 2,336.
- Who drove in more runs? Carlos Beltran, with 1,587 to Bernie Williams's 1,257.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bernie Williams, with 24,401 career PIV to Carlos Beltran's 23,622.
- Who won more championships? Bernie Williams, with 4 World Series titles to Carlos Beltran's 1.
Carlos Beltran
Bernie Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlos Beltran and Bernie Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carlos Beltran | Bernie Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,586 | 2,076 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,768 | 7,869 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,582 | 1,366 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,725 | 2,336 |
| Doubles | Leads: 565 | 449 |
| Triples | Leads: 78 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 435 | 287 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,587 | 1,257 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,084 | 1,069 |
| Strikeouts | 1,795 | 1,212 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 312 | 147 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .381 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .486 | .477 |
| OPS | .837 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bernie Williams edges Carlos Beltran 24,401 to 23,622 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,525 vs 1,027 per year). 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).
Carlos Beltran — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bernie Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carlos Beltran leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bernie Williams owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carlos Beltran. Note that PIV actually grades Bernie Williams ahead, which means Carlos Beltran's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Carlos Beltran vs Bernie Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carlos Beltran or Bernie Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carlos Beltran leads Bernie Williams in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Carlos Beltran or Bernie Williams hit more home runs?
- Carlos Beltran, with 435 to Bernie Williams's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bernie Williams, with .858 to Carlos Beltran's .837.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bernie Williams, with .297 to Carlos Beltran's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Carlos Beltran, with 2,725 to Bernie Williams's 2,336.