Shoeless Joe Jackson vs Cy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Shoeless Joe Jackson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1900s and the 1910s respectively and share 9 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Shoeless Joe Jackson, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Shoeless Joe Jackson | Cy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,332 | 2,002 |
| At-Bats not scored | 4,981 | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,977 PIV per season to 1,294 — rather than by longevity, since Shoeless Joe Jackson played 13 seasons to Cy Williams's 19. 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
Shoeless Joe Jackson leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: doubles, triples, stolen bases, batting average, and others. Cy Williams leads 5: runs, hits, home runs, RBI, and others. 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
How the Shoeless Joe Jackson and Cy Williams careers compare
From 1912 through 1920, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Cy Williams were in the majors together. The table compares 1,332 games of Shoeless Joe Jackson with 2,002 of Cy Williams across 13 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Shoeless Joe Jackson walked more often than struck out (519 walks, 233 strikeouts), while Cy Williams struck out more than walked (721 to 690). Home runs make up a larger share of Cy Williams's hits: 54 of 1,772 for Shoeless Joe Jackson, 251 of 1,981 for Cy Williams. Shoeless Joe Jackson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Shoeless Joe Jackson vs Cy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Shoeless Joe Jackson or Cy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Shoeless Joe Jackson leads Cy Williams in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.