Lou Brock vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Lou Brock 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). Lou Brock played 1961–1979 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
Lou Brock (1961–1979) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Brock finished with 3,023 hits and 149 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 Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Brock, with .293 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Lou Brock's 900.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Lou Brock's 18,115.
- Who won more championships? Lou Brock, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Brock 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, and the 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Brock | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,616 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,332 | 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,610 | 1,410 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,023 | 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 486 | 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 149 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 900 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 761 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,730 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 938 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .293 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .753 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Lou Brock 44,022 to 18,115 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 906 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Lou Brock's 20. 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).
Lou Brock — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Lou Brock owns hits, runs, and 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 Lou Brock and Billy Williams careers compare
From 1961 through 1976, Lou Brock and Billy Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,616 games for Lou Brock and 2,488 for Billy Williams across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Lou Brock struck out more than walked (1,730 to 761), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Billy Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 426 of 2,711 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Lou Brock stole more often per game played (938 steals in 2,616 games for Lou Brock, 90 in 2,488 for Billy Williams).
Lou Brock vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Brock or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lou Brock leads Billy Williams in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Brock or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Lou Brock's 149.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Lou Brock's .753.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Brock, with .293 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Lou Brock, with 3,023 to Billy Williams's 2,711.