Tony Gwynn vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Tony Gwynn played 1982–2001 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
Tony Gwynn (1982–2001) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Tony Gwynn finished with 3,141 hits and 135 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 Tony Gwynn's 135.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Tony Gwynn's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Tony Gwynn's .338.
- Who had more hits? Tony Gwynn, with 3,141 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Tony Gwynn's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Tony Gwynn's 30,602.
Tony Gwynn
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tony Gwynn 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, and the 1980s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tony Gwynn | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,440 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,288 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,383 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,141 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 543 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 85 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 135 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,138 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 790 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 434 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 319 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .338 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .388 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .459 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .847 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Tony Gwynn 96,302 to 30,602 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,530 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Tony Gwynn's 20. 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).
Tony Gwynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Tony Gwynn owns hits and 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 Tony Gwynn and Ted Williams careers compare
Ted Williams (1939–1960) was finished before Tony Gwynn (1982–2001) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,440 games against 2,292 across 20 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Tony Gwynn walked more often than struck out (790 walks, 434 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ted Williams's hits: 135 of 3,141 for Tony Gwynn, 521 of 2,654 for Ted Williams. On the bases, Tony Gwynn stole more often per game played (319 steals in 2,440 games for Tony Gwynn, 24 in 2,292 for Ted Williams).
Tony Gwynn vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tony Gwynn or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Tony Gwynn in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Tony Gwynn or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Tony Gwynn's 135.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Tony Gwynn's .847.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Tony Gwynn's .338.
- Who had more hits?
- Tony Gwynn, with 3,141 to Ted Williams's 2,654.