Mickey Mantle vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Mickey Mantle has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. 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 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.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
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. 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 | Mickey Mantle | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,401 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 8,102 | Leads: 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 | 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,773 vs 2,446 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).
Mickey Mantle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Mantle leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Billy Williams owns hits. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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
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 14 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.