Bryce Harper vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted 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). Bryce Harper has played 2012–present 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
Bryce Harper (2012–present) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 home runs through October 6, 2026; 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 Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Bryce Harper's .902.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Bryce Harper's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Bryce Harper's 34,405.
Bryce Harper
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bryce Harper 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 2010s and the 1930s 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 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Bryce Harper | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,947 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 7,012 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,247 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,956 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 433 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 392 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,138 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,212 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,802 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 159 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .516 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .902 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Bryce Harper 96,302 to 34,405 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 2,458, across 19 seasons to 14. 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
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 Bryce Harper 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 Bryce Harper and Ted Williams careers compare
No season is shared: Ted Williams played 1939–1960, Bryce Harper 2012–present. With 1,947 games against 2,292 across 14 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bryce Harper are stolen bases (159 to 24). At the plate, Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212), while Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). On the bases, Bryce Harper stole more often per game played (159 steals in 1,947 games for Bryce Harper, 24 in 2,292 for Ted Williams). In slugging percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .634 to .516. Because Bryce Harper is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Bryce Harper vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bryce Harper or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Bryce Harper in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bryce Harper or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Bryce Harper's .902.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.