Luis Gonzalez vs Matt Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Luis Gonzalez has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Luis Gonzalez played 1990–2008 as a hitter; Matt Williams played 1987–2003 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
Luis Gonzalez (1990–2008) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luis Gonzalez finished with 2,591 hits and 354 home runs; Matt Williams finished with 1,878 hits and 378 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Matt Williams, with 378 to Luis Gonzalez's 354.
- Who had the higher OPS? Luis Gonzalez, with .845 to Matt Williams's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Luis Gonzalez, with .283 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits? Luis Gonzalez, with 2,591 to Matt Williams's 1,878.
- Who drove in more runs? Luis Gonzalez, with 1,439 to Matt Williams's 1,218.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luis Gonzalez, with 24,585 career PIV to Matt Williams's 9,982.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Luis Gonzalez
Matt Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luis Gonzalez and Matt 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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luis Gonzalez | Matt Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,591 | 1,866 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,157 | 7,000 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,412 | 997 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,591 | 1,878 |
| Doubles | Leads: 596 | 338 |
| Triples | Leads: 68 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 354 | Leads: 378 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,439 | 1,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,155 | 469 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,218 | 1,363 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 128 | 53 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .283 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .367 | .317 |
| Slugging % | .479 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .845 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luis Gonzalez outpaces Matt Williams 24,585 to 9,982 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,229 PIV per season to 587, across 20 seasons to 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).
Luis Gonzalez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Luis Gonzalez leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Matt Williams owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Luis Gonzalez. PIV agrees: Luis Gonzalez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luis Gonzalez and Matt Williams careers compare
From 1990 through 2003, Luis Gonzalez and Matt Williams were in the majors together. With 2,591 games against 1,866 across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Matt Williams are home runs (378 to 354) and slugging percentage (.489 to .479). At the plate, Luis Gonzalez struck out more than walked (1,218 to 1,155), and Matt Williams struck out more than walked (1,363 to 469). Matt Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 378 of 1,878 hits leaving the park. Luis Gonzalez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Luis Gonzalez vs Matt Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luis Gonzalez or Matt Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Luis Gonzalez leads Matt Williams in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luis Gonzalez or Matt Williams hit more home runs?
- Matt Williams, with 378 to Luis Gonzalez's 354.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Luis Gonzalez, with .845 to Matt Williams's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Luis Gonzalez, with .283 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Luis Gonzalez, with 2,591 to Matt Williams's 1,878.