George Brett vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 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 hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to George Brett's .305.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to George Brett's 1,596.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
- Who won more championships? George Brett, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
George Brett
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Ted 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 1970s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,583 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 317 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,596 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,096 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .369 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .487 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .857 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces George Brett 96,302 to 41,511 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,977 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to George Brett's 21. 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while George Brett owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Ted Williams careers compare
Ted Williams (1939–1960) was finished before George Brett (1973–1993) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 521 of 2,654 hits leaving the park. George Brett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .634 to .487.
George Brett vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads George Brett in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to George Brett's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Ted Williams's 2,654.