Kirk Gibson vs Bernie Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Bernie 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). Kirk Gibson played 1979–1995 as a hitter; Bernie Williams played 1991–2006 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
Kirk Gibson (1979–1995) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Kirk Gibson finished with 1,553 hits and 255 home runs; Bernie Williams finished with 2,336 hits and 287 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bernie Williams, with 287 to Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bernie Williams, with .858 to Kirk Gibson's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bernie Williams, with .297 to Kirk Gibson's .268.
- Who had more hits? Bernie Williams, with 2,336 to Kirk Gibson's 1,553.
- Who drove in more runs? Bernie Williams, with 1,257 to Kirk Gibson's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bernie Williams, with 24,401 career PIV to Kirk Gibson's 15,883.
- Who won more championships? Bernie Williams, with 4 World Series titles to Kirk Gibson's 2.
Kirk Gibson
Bernie Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Kirk Gibson and Bernie 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 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kirk Gibson | Bernie Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,635 | Leads: 2,076 |
| At-Bats | 5,798 | Leads: 7,869 |
| Runs | 985 | Leads: 1,366 |
| Hits | 1,553 | Leads: 2,336 |
| Doubles | 260 | Leads: 449 |
| Triples | 54 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 255 | Leads: 287 |
| RBI | 870 | Leads: 1,257 |
| Walks | 718 | Leads: 1,069 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,285 | 1,212 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 284 | 147 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .381 |
| Slugging % | .463 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .815 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bernie Williams outpaces Kirk Gibson 24,401 to 15,883 — driven by per-season impact — 1,525 PIV per season to 934 — rather than by longevity, since Bernie Williams played 16 seasons to Kirk Gibson's 17. 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).
Kirk Gibson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bernie Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bernie Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Kirk Gibson owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bernie Williams. PIV agrees: Bernie Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kirk Gibson and Bernie Williams careers compare
The careers of Kirk Gibson (1979–1995) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) overlapped from 1991 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,635 games against 2,076 across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Kirk Gibson are stolen bases (284 to 147). At the plate, Kirk Gibson struck out more than walked (1,285 to 718), and Bernie Williams struck out more than walked (1,212 to 1,069). Kirk Gibson is the more power-leaning hitter, with 255 of 1,553 hits leaving the park. Kirk Gibson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Kirk Gibson vs Bernie Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kirk Gibson or Bernie Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bernie Williams leads Kirk Gibson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Kirk Gibson or Bernie Williams hit more home runs?
- Bernie Williams, with 287 to Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bernie Williams, with .858 to Kirk Gibson's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bernie Williams, with .297 to Kirk Gibson's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Bernie Williams, with 2,336 to Kirk Gibson's 1,553.