Fred Lynn vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Fred Lynn played 1974–1990 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
Fred Lynn (1974–1990) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Lynn finished with 1,960 hits and 306 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? Billy Williams, with 426 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Fred Lynn's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Fred Lynn's .283.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Fred Lynn's 1,111.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Fred Lynn's 25,648.
Fred Lynn
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Lynn and Billy 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Lynn | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,969 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 6,925 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,063 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 1,960 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 388 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 43 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 306 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,111 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 857 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,116 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | 72 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | .283 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | .360 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .484 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .845 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Fred Lynn 44,022 to 25,648 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 1,425 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Fred Lynn's 18. 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).
Fred Lynn — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred Lynn owns no headline categories. 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
How the Fred Lynn and Billy Williams careers compare
Fred Lynn and Billy Williams were active at the same time between 1974 and 1976. With 1,969 games against 2,488 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Billy Williams leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Fred Lynn struck out more than walked (1,116 to 857), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Fred Lynn owns the better peak by OPS: 1.059 OPS in 1979 for Fred Lynn against 1.005 OPS in 1972 for Billy Williams.
Fred Lynn vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Lynn or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Fred Lynn in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred Lynn or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Fred Lynn's 306.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Fred Lynn's .845.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Fred Lynn's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Fred Lynn's 1,960.