Nellie Fox vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Nellie Fox played 1947–1965 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
Nellie Fox (1947–1965) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Nellie Fox finished with 2,663 hits and 35 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 Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Nellie Fox's 2,663.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Nellie Fox's 790.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Nellie Fox's 1,100.
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Nellie Fox and Billy 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, 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 | Nellie Fox | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,367 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 9,232 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,279 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,663 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 355 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 35 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 790 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 719 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 216 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | 76 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .363 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .710 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Nellie Fox 44,022 to 1,100 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 58 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Nellie Fox's 19. 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).
Nellie Fox — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Nellie Fox owns no headline categories. 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
How the Nellie Fox and Billy Williams careers compare
From 1959 through 1965, Nellie Fox and Billy Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,367 games for Nellie Fox and 2,488 for Billy Williams across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Nellie Fox's edges on the table are triples (112 to 88). Plate discipline differs: Nellie Fox walked more often than struck out (719 walks, 216 strikeouts), but 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.
Nellie Fox vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Nellie Fox or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Nellie Fox in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Nellie Fox or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Nellie Fox's 35.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Nellie Fox's .710.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Nellie Fox's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Nellie Fox's 2,663.