Roy Campanella vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted 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). Roy Campanella played 1948–1957 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
Roy Campanella (1948–1957) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Roy Campanella finished with 1,427 hits and 260 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 Roy Campanella's 260.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Roy Campanella's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Roy Campanella's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Roy Campanella's 19,598.
- Who won more championships? Roy Campanella, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
Roy Campanella
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roy Campanella 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Campanella | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,455 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 5,050 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 787 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,427 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 235 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 260 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 608 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 514 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 39 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .363 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .496 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Roy Campanella 96,302 to 19,598 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,031 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Roy Campanella's 19. 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).
Roy Campanella — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roy Campanella owns 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 Roy Campanella and Ted Williams careers compare
From 1948 through 1957, Roy Campanella and Ted Williams were in the majors together. The table compares 1,455 games of Roy Campanella with 2,292 of Ted Williams across 19 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Roy Campanella comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (39 to 24). Roy Campanella walked more often than struck out (608 walks, 514 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams owns the better peak by OPS: 1.006 OPS in 1953 for Roy Campanella against 1.287 OPS in 1941 for Ted Williams.
Roy Campanella vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Campanella or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Roy Campanella in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Roy Campanella or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Roy Campanella's 260.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Roy Campanella's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Roy Campanella's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Roy Campanella's 1,427.