Roberto Clemente vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1950s. 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 leads the career comparison? Billy Williams, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Roberto Clemente | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,433 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 1,896 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Roberto Clemente's 18. 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
Billy Williams leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: home runs, RBI, walks, stolen bases, and others. Roberto Clemente leads 5: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. 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
How the Roberto Clemente and Billy Williams careers compare
The careers of Roberto Clemente (1955–1972) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) overlapped from 1959 to 1972, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,433 games against 2,488 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Roberto Clemente struck out more than walked (1,230 to 621), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Billy Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 426 of 2,711 hits leaving the park. Billy Williams's slugging percentage of .492 tops Roberto Clemente's .475.
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 7 of the 12 scored 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.