Adrian Beltre vs Matt Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Adrian Beltre has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Adrian Beltre played 1998–2018 as a hitter; Matt Williams played 1987–2003 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
Adrian Beltre (1998–2018) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Adrian Beltre finished with 3,166 hits and 477 home runs; Matt Williams finished with 1,878 hits and 378 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Adrian Beltre, with 477 to Matt Williams's 378.
- Who had the higher OPS? Adrian Beltre, with .819 to Matt Williams's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Adrian Beltre, with .286 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits? Adrian Beltre, with 3,166 to Matt Williams's 1,878.
- Who drove in more runs? Adrian Beltre, with 1,707 to Matt Williams's 1,218.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Adrian Beltre, with 22,100 career PIV to Matt Williams's 9,982.
- Who won more championships? Matt Williams, with 1 World Series title to Adrian Beltre's 0.
Adrian Beltre
Matt Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Adrian Beltre and Matt Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Adrian Beltre | Matt Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,933 | 1,866 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,068 | 7,000 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,524 | 997 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,166 | 1,878 |
| Doubles | Leads: 636 | 338 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 35 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 477 | 378 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,707 | 1,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 848 | 469 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,732 | 1,363 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 121 | 53 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .286 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .339 | .317 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .819 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adrian Beltre outpaces Matt Williams 22,100 to 9,982 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,052 PIV per season to 587, across 21 seasons to 17. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Adrian Beltre — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Adrian Beltre leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Matt Williams owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Adrian Beltre. PIV agrees: Adrian Beltre grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Adrian Beltre and Matt Williams careers compare
The careers of Adrian Beltre (1998–2018) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) overlapped from 1998 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Adrian Beltre appeared in 2,933 games to Matt Williams's 1,866. Where Matt Williams comes out ahead, it is in slugging percentage (.489 to .480). At the plate, Adrian Beltre struck out more than walked (1,732 to 848), and Matt Williams struck out more than walked (1,363 to 469). Home runs make up a larger share of Matt Williams's hits: 477 of 3,166 for Adrian Beltre, 378 of 1,878 for Matt Williams.
Adrian Beltre vs Matt Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Adrian Beltre or Matt Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adrian Beltre leads Matt Williams in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Adrian Beltre or Matt Williams hit more home runs?
- Adrian Beltre, with 477 to Matt Williams's 378.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Adrian Beltre, with .819 to Matt Williams's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Adrian Beltre, with .286 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Adrian Beltre, with 3,166 to Matt Williams's 1,878.