Ken Caminiti vs Matt Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Matt Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ken Caminiti played 1987–2001 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
Ken Caminiti (1987–2001) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ken Caminiti finished with 1,710 hits and 239 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? Matt Williams, with 378 to Ken Caminiti's 239.
- Who had the higher OPS? Matt Williams, with .805 to Ken Caminiti's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Caminiti, with .272 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits? Matt Williams, with 1,878 to Ken Caminiti's 1,710.
- Who drove in more runs? Matt Williams, with 1,218 to Ken Caminiti's 983.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Caminiti, with 10,214 career PIV to Matt Williams's 9,982.
- Who won more championships? Matt Williams, with 1 World Series title to Ken Caminiti's 0.
Ken Caminiti
Matt Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ken Caminiti 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Caminiti | Matt Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,760 | Leads: 1,866 |
| At-Bats | 6,288 | Leads: 7,000 |
| Runs | 894 | Leads: 997 |
| Hits | 1,710 | Leads: 1,878 |
| Doubles | Leads: 348 | 338 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 35 |
| Home Runs | 239 | Leads: 378 |
| RBI | 983 | Leads: 1,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 727 | 469 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,163 | 1,363 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 88 | 53 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .272 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .347 | .317 |
| Slugging % | .447 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .794 | Leads: .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Caminiti edges Matt Williams 10,214 to 9,982 — driven by per-season impact — 638 PIV per season to 587 — rather than by longevity, since Ken Caminiti played 16 seasons to Matt Williams's 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 Caminiti — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Matt Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ken Caminiti owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Matt Williams. Note that PIV actually grades Ken Caminiti ahead, which means Matt Williams's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Caminiti and Matt Williams careers compare
The careers of Ken Caminiti (1987–2001) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) overlapped from 1987 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,760 games for Ken Caminiti and 1,866 for Matt Williams across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Ken Caminiti struck out more than walked (1,163 to 727), and Matt Williams struck out more than walked (1,363 to 469). Home runs make up a larger share of Matt Williams's hits: 239 of 1,710 for Ken Caminiti, 378 of 1,878 for Matt Williams. In slugging percentage, Matt Williams holds the edge, .489 to .447.
Ken Caminiti vs Matt Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Caminiti or Matt Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Matt Williams leads Ken Caminiti in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ken Caminiti or Matt Williams hit more home runs?
- Matt Williams, with 378 to Ken Caminiti's 239.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Matt Williams, with .805 to Ken Caminiti's .794.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Caminiti, with .272 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Matt Williams, with 1,878 to Ken Caminiti's 1,710.