Reggie Jackson vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Jackson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Reggie Jackson played 1967–1987 as a hitter; Billy Williams played 1959–1976 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
Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Reggie Jackson finished with 2,584 hits and 563 home runs; Billy Williams finished with 2,711 hits and 426 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Reggie Jackson's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Reggie Jackson's 2,584.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Jackson, with 1,702 to Billy Williams's 1,475.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Reggie Jackson's 41,801.
- Who won more championships? Reggie Jackson, with 5 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
Reggie Jackson
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Reggie Jackson and Billy Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Reggie Jackson | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,820 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,864 | 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,584 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 463 | 434 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 563 | 426 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,702 | 1,475 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,375 | 1,045 |
| Strikeouts | 2,597 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 228 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .490 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .846 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams edges Reggie Jackson 44,022 to 41,801 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,446 vs 1,991 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Reggie Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Reggie Jackson owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Williams. PIV agrees: Billy Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Reggie Jackson vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Reggie Jackson or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Reggie Jackson leads Billy Williams in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Reggie Jackson or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Reggie Jackson's .846.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Reggie Jackson's 2,584.