Bryce Harper vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bryce Harper has played 2012–present 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
Bryce Harper (2012–present) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bryce Harper, with .902 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Bryce Harper's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Bryce Harper's 34,405.
Bryce Harper
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bryce Harper 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 2010s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Bryce Harper is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Bryce Harper | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,947 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 7,012 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,247 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 1,956 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 433 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 392 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,138 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,212 | 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,802 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 159 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .386 | .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .516 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .902 | .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams leads Bryce Harper 44,022 to 34,405 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Bryce Harper's 14, while Bryce Harper carries the higher per-season figure (2,458 to 2,446). 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).
Bryce Harper — 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 Bryce Harper owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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 Bryce Harper and Billy Williams careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Billy Williams's ended in 1976, and Bryce Harper debuted in 2012. With 1,947 games against 2,488 across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Bryce Harper was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Bryce Harper's on-base percentage of .386 tops Billy Williams's .361. On the peak-season lists, Bryce Harper's best year is 2015 at 1.109 OPS and Billy Williams's is 1972 at 1.005 OPS; Bryce Harper has the stronger single season. Bryce Harper's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Bryce Harper vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bryce Harper or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Bryce Harper in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bryce Harper or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bryce Harper, with .902 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.