Rickey Henderson vs Bernie Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Bernie Williams played 1991–2006 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Bernie Williams finished with 2,336 hits and 287 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Bernie Williams's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bernie Williams, with .858 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bernie Williams, with .297 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Bernie Williams's 2,336.
- Who drove in more runs? Bernie Williams, with 1,257 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Bernie Williams's 24,401.
- Who won more championships? Bernie Williams, with 4 World Series titles to Rickey Henderson's 2.
Rickey Henderson
Bernie Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Bernie 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 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Bernie Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,076 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 7,869 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,366 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,336 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 449 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 297 | 287 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,257 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,069 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,212 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 147 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .381 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Bernie Williams 37,642 to 24,401 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Rickey Henderson played 29 seasons to Bernie Williams's 16, while Bernie Williams carries the higher per-season figure (1,525 to 1,298). 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).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bernie Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, runs, and stolen bases, while Bernie Williams owns RBI, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. PIV agrees: Rickey Henderson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rickey Henderson and Bernie Williams careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) overlapped from 1991 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 3,081 games against 2,076 across 29 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bernie Williams's edges on the table are RBI (1,257 to 1,115), batting average (.297 to .279), and slugging percentage (.477 to .419). At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), while Bernie Williams struck out more than walked (1,212 to 1,069).
Rickey Henderson vs Bernie Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Bernie Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Bernie Williams in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Bernie Williams hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Bernie Williams's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bernie Williams, with .858 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bernie Williams, with .297 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Bernie Williams's 2,336.