Jeff Heath 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). Jeff Heath played 1936–1949 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
Jeff Heath (1936–1949) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jeff Heath finished with 1,447 hits and 194 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 Jeff Heath's 194.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Jeff Heath's .879.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Jeff Heath's .293.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Jeff Heath's 1,447.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Jeff Heath's 887.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Jeff Heath's 22,325.
Jeff Heath
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Heath 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 | Jeff Heath | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,383 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 4,937 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 777 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,447 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 279 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 102 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 194 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 887 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 593 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 670 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 56 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .293 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .370 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .879 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Jeff Heath 96,302 to 22,325 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 1,488, across 19 seasons to 15. 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).
Jeff Heath — 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 Jeff Heath 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 Jeff Heath and Ted Williams careers compare
Jeff Heath and Ted Williams were active at the same time between 1939 and 1949. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jeff Heath appeared in 1,383 games to Ted Williams's 2,292. The green cells for Jeff Heath are triples (102 to 71) and stolen bases (56 to 24). At the plate, Jeff Heath struck out more than walked (670 to 593), while Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 521 of 2,654 hits leaving the park. Ted Williams's slugging percentage of .634 tops Jeff Heath's .509.
Jeff Heath vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Heath or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Jeff Heath in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jeff Heath or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Jeff Heath's 194.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Jeff Heath's .879.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Jeff Heath's .293.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Jeff Heath's 1,447.