Rickey Henderson 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). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 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 Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Rickey Henderson
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson 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 1970s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .401 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Rickey Henderson 96,302 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Rickey Henderson owns hits, runs, 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 Rickey Henderson and Ted Williams careers compare
Ted Williams (1939–1960) was finished before Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 3,081 games for Rickey Henderson and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 29 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), and 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. On the bases, Rickey Henderson stole more often per game played (1,406 steals in 3,081 games for Rickey Henderson, 24 in 2,292 for Ted Williams).
Rickey Henderson vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Rickey Henderson in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Ted Williams's 2,654.