Ken Boyer vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams 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). Ken Boyer played 1955–1969 as a hitter; Billy Williams played 1959–1976 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
Ken Boyer (1955–1969) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Boyer finished with 2,143 hits and 282 home runs; Billy Williams finished with 2,711 hits and 426 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Ken Boyer's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Ken Boyer's 2,143.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Ken Boyer's 1,141.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Ken Boyer's 22,279.
- Who won more championships? Ken Boyer, with 1 World Series title to Billy Williams's 0.
Ken Boyer
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Boyer and Billy 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Boyer | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,034 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 7,455 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,104 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,143 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 318 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 68 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 282 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,141 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 713 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,017 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 105 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | .349 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .810 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Ken Boyer 44,022 to 22,279 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,446 PIV per season to 1,311, across 18 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).
Ken Boyer — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ken Boyer owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Williams. PIV agrees: Billy Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Boyer and Billy Williams careers compare
From 1959 through 1969, Ken Boyer and Billy Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,034 games for Ken Boyer and 2,488 for Billy Williams across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ken Boyer comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (105 to 90). At the plate, Ken Boyer struck out more than walked (1,017 to 713), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). On the bases, Ken Boyer stole more often per game played (105 steals in 2,034 games for Ken Boyer, 90 in 2,488 for Billy Williams).
Ken Boyer vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Boyer or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Ken Boyer in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Boyer or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Ken Boyer's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Ken Boyer's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Ken Boyer's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Ken Boyer's 2,143.