Roberto Clemente vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Roberto Clemente played 1955–1972 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
Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Roberto Clemente finished with 3,000 hits and 240 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 Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average? Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Roberto Clemente's 1,305.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Roberto Clemente's 34,131.
- Who won more championships? Roberto Clemente, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
Roberto Clemente
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Roberto Clemente and Billy Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roberto Clemente | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,433 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,454 | 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,416 | 1,410 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,000 | 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 166 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 240 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,305 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 621 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts | 1,230 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | 83 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .317 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .359 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .475 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .834 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams leads Roberto Clemente 44,022 to 34,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,446 vs 1,896 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Roberto Clemente — 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, stolen bases, and OBP, while Roberto Clemente owns hits, runs, and batting average. 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
Roberto Clemente vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roberto Clemente or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Roberto Clemente in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Roberto Clemente or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Roberto Clemente's 240.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Roberto Clemente's .834.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Roberto Clemente, with .317 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Roberto Clemente, with 3,000 to Billy Williams's 2,711.