Rod Carew vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Rod Carew and Billy Williams are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rod Carew played 1967–1985 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
Rod Carew (1967–1985) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rod Carew finished with 3,053 hits and 92 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 Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Rod Carew's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rod Carew, with .328 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Rod Carew, with 3,053 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Rod Carew's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Rod Carew's 35,141.
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rod Carew 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 | Rod Carew | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,469 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 9,315 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,424 | 1,410 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,053 | 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 445 | 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 92 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 1,018 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,028 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 353 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .328 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .393 | .361 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams leads Rod Carew 44,022 to 35,141 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 1,850 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Rod Carew'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).
Rod Carew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rod Carew leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Billy Williams owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rod Carew. Note that PIV actually grades Billy Williams ahead, which means Rod Carew's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rod Carew and Billy Williams careers compare
The careers of Rod Carew (1967–1985) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) overlapped from 1967 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,469 games against 2,488 across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Rod Carew struck out more than walked (1,028 to 1,018); Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Home runs make up a larger share of Billy Williams's hits: 92 of 3,053 for Rod Carew, 426 of 2,711 for Billy Williams. On the bases, Rod Carew stole more often per game played (353 steals in 2,469 games for Rod Carew, 90 in 2,488 for Billy Williams).
Rod Carew vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Rod Carew or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Rod Carew's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rod Carew, with .328 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Rod Carew, with 3,053 to Billy Williams's 2,711.