Shoeless Joe Jackson vs Cy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Shoeless Joe Jackson and Cy Williams are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Shoeless Joe Jackson played 1908–1920 as a hitter; Cy Williams played 1912–1930 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
Shoeless Joe Jackson (1908–1920) and Cy Williams (1912–1930) — they broke in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Shoeless Joe Jackson finished with 1,772 hits and 54 home runs; Cy Williams finished with 1,981 hits and 251 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cy Williams, with 251 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 54.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .940 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .356 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits? Cy Williams, with 1,981 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 1,772.
- Who drove in more runs? Cy Williams, with 1,005 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 785.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with 38,698 career PIV to Cy Williams's 24,595.
- Who won more championships? Shoeless Joe Jackson, with 1 World Series title to Cy Williams's 0.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Cy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Shoeless Joe Jackson and Cy 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 | Shoeless Joe Jackson | Cy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,332 | Leads: 2,002 |
| At-Bats | 4,981 | Leads: 6,780 |
| Runs | 873 | Leads: 1,024 |
| Hits | 1,772 | Leads: 1,981 |
| Doubles | Leads: 307 | 306 |
| Triples | Leads: 168 | 74 |
| Home Runs | 54 | Leads: 251 |
| RBI | 785 | Leads: 1,005 |
| Walks | 519 | Leads: 690 |
| Strikeouts | 233 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 202 | 115 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .356 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .423 | .365 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .517 | .470 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .835 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Shoeless Joe Jackson outpaces Cy Williams 38,698 to 24,595 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,764 vs 1,294 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).
Shoeless Joe Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Shoeless Joe Jackson leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Cy Williams owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Shoeless Joe Jackson. PIV agrees: Shoeless Joe Jackson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Shoeless Joe Jackson vs Cy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Shoeless Joe Jackson or Cy Williams hit more home runs?
- Cy Williams, with 251 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 54.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .940 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Shoeless Joe Jackson, with .356 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Cy Williams, with 1,981 to Shoeless Joe Jackson's 1,772.