Billy Herman vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Billy Herman played 1931–1947 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
Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Billy Herman finished with 2,345 hits and 47 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 Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Billy Herman's 2,345.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Billy Herman's 839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Billy Herman's 12,844.
Billy Herman
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Herman 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 | Billy Herman | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,922 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,707 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,163 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,345 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 486 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 82 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 47 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 839 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 737 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 428 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .304 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .367 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .407 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .774 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Billy Herman 96,302 to 12,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 756, across 19 seasons to 17. 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).
Billy Herman — 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 Billy Herman 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 Billy Herman and Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Billy Herman (1931–1947) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1939 to 1947, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,922 games for Billy Herman and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Billy Herman are at-bats (7,707 to 7,706), triples (82 to 71), and stolen bases (67 to 24). Billy Herman walked more often than struck out (737 walks, 428 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts).
Billy Herman vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Herman or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Billy Herman in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Herman or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Billy Herman's 47.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Billy Herman's .774.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Billy Herman's .304.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Billy Herman's 2,345.