Larry Doby vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they debuted in the 1940s and the 1930s respectively and share 13 seasons. Larry Doby finished with 1,697 hits and 273 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Ted Williams, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Larry Doby's 1,697.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Larry Doby's 1,093.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Larry Doby's 28,857.
Larry Doby
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Doby and Ted 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 | Larry Doby | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,674 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats not scored | 5,883 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,080 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,697 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 273 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,093 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 945 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,012 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 64 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .389 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .499 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .888 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Larry Doby 96,302 to 28,857 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 1,697, across 19 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Ted Williams leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Larry Doby leads 2: triples and stolen bases. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted 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 Ted Williams careers compare
From 1947 through 1959, Larry Doby and Ted Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,674 games for Larry Doby and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Larry Doby are triples (72 to 71) and stolen bases (64 to 24). At the plate, Larry Doby struck out more than walked (1,012 to 945), while Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams's on-base percentage of .482 tops Larry Doby's .389.
Larry Doby vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Doby or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Larry Doby in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Larry Doby or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Larry Doby's 273.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Larry Doby's .888.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Larry Doby's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Larry Doby's 1,697.