Oscar Charleston vs Ken Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Oscar Charleston has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Oscar Charleston played ?–1941 as a hitter; Ken Williams played 1915–1929 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
Oscar Charleston (?–1941) and Ken Williams (1915–1929) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Oscar Charleston finished with 1,718 hits and 183 home runs; Ken Williams finished with 1,552 hits and 196 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ken Williams, with 196 to Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS? Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Ken Williams's .924.
- Who had the higher batting average? Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Ken Williams's .319.
- Who had more hits? Oscar Charleston, with 1,718 to Ken Williams's 1,552.
- Who drove in more runs? Oscar Charleston, with 1,139 to Ken Williams's 913.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Oscar Charleston, with 34,756 career PIV to Ken Williams's 26,593.
Oscar Charleston
Ken Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Oscar Charleston and Ken 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 | Oscar Charleston | Ken Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,336 | Leads: 1,397 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 4,903 | 4,862 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,164 | 860 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,718 | 1,552 |
| Doubles | Leads: 329 | 285 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 77 |
| Home Runs | 183 | Leads: 196 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,139 | 913 |
| Walks | Leads: 647 | 566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 29 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 311 | 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .350 | .319 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .430 | .393 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .575 | .530 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.005 | .924 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Oscar Charleston leads Ken Williams 34,756 to 26,593 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Oscar Charleston played 31 seasons to Ken Williams's 14, while Ken Williams carries the higher per-season figure (1,900 to 1,121). 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).
Oscar Charleston — top 2 seasons by OPS
Ken Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Oscar Charleston leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Ken Williams owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Oscar Charleston. PIV agrees: Oscar Charleston grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Oscar Charleston and Ken Williams careers compare
Ken Williams (1915–1929) was finished before Oscar Charleston (?–1941) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 1,336 games against 1,397 across 31 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ken Williams are games (1,397 to 1,336) and home runs (196 to 183). At the plate, Oscar Charleston walked more often than struck out (647 walks, 29 strikeouts), and Ken Williams walked more often than struck out (566 walks, 287 strikeouts). On the bases, Oscar Charleston stole more often per game played (311 steals in 1,336 games for Oscar Charleston, 154 in 1,397 for Ken Williams).
Oscar Charleston vs Ken Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Oscar Charleston or Ken Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Oscar Charleston leads Ken Williams in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Oscar Charleston or Ken Williams hit more home runs?
- Ken Williams, with 196 to Oscar Charleston's 183.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Oscar Charleston, with 1.005 to Ken Williams's .924.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Oscar Charleston, with .350 to Ken Williams's .319.
- Who had more hits?
- Oscar Charleston, with 1,718 to Ken Williams's 1,552.