Larry Doby vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Larry Doby played 1947–1959 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
Larry Doby (1947–1959) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they debuted in the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 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 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Doby, with .888 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
Larry Doby
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby 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, and the 1940s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Doby | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,674 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,883 | 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 273 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,093 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | 64 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .389 | .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .888 | .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Larry Doby 44,022 to 28,857 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,446 PIV per season to 1,697, across 18 seasons to 17. 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).
Larry Doby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Billy Williams leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Larry Doby leads 3: on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. 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 Larry Doby and Billy Williams careers compare
Larry Doby and Billy Williams were active at the same time between 1959 and 1959. The two careers are close in length, 1,674 games for Larry Doby and 2,488 for Billy Williams across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Larry Doby are on-base percentage (.389 to .361), slugging percentage (.499 to .492), and OPS (.888 to .853). Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945); Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). In slugging percentage, Larry Doby holds the edge, .499 to .492.
Larry Doby vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Larry Doby in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Doby, with .888 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Larry Doby's 1,697.