Hank Greenberg vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams 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). Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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
Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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 hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Hank Greenberg, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Hank Greenberg
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg and Ted 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 379 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 71 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 331 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,276 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 58 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .313 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .412 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .605 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | 1.017 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Hank Greenberg 96,302 to 43,523 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 3,348, across 19 seasons to 13. 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).
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Hank Greenberg and Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1939 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,394 games of Hank Greenberg with 2,292 of Ted Williams across 13 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Hank Greenberg are stolen bases (58 to 24). At the plate, Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), and Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .634 to .605.
Hank Greenberg vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Hank Greenberg in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Hank Greenberg's 1.017.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Hank Greenberg's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.