Mickey Mantle vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Mickey Mantle played 1951–1968 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
Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — both debuted in the 1950s. Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 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 leads the career comparison? Mickey Mantle, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.
- Who drove in more runs? Mickey Mantle, with 1,509 to Billy Williams's 1,475.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mickey Mantle, with 67,905 career PIV to Billy Williams's 44,022.
Mickey Mantle
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Mantle and Billy 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 | Mickey Mantle | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,401 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,102 | 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,677 | 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,415 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 72 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 536 | 426 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,509 | 1,475 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,733 | 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,710 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 153 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .421 | .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .977 | .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Mantle outpaces Billy Williams 67,905 to 44,022 — driven by per-season impact — 3,773 PIV per season to 2,446 — rather than by longevity, since Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons to Billy Williams's 18. 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).
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Mickey Mantle leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, home runs, RBI, walks, and others. Billy Williams leads 3: hits, doubles, and triples. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Mantle. PIV agrees: Mickey Mantle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mickey Mantle and Billy Williams careers compare
The careers of Mickey Mantle (1951–1968) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) overlapped from 1959 to 1968, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,401 games for Mickey Mantle and 2,488 for Billy Williams across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Billy Williams comes out ahead, it is in hits (2,711 to 2,415), doubles (434 to 344), and triples (88 to 72). Plate discipline differs: Mickey Mantle walked more often than struck out (1,733 walks, 1,710 strikeouts), but Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045).
Mickey Mantle vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mickey Mantle leads Billy Williams in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Mickey Mantle or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mickey Mantle, with .977 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Mickey Mantle, with .298 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.