Mickey Mantle vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams 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; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Mickey Mantle finished with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 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 Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Mickey Mantle's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Mickey Mantle's 1,509.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Mickey Mantle's 67,905.
- Who won more championships? Mickey Mantle, with 7 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Mickey Mantle
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Mickey Mantle and Ted 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 | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,401 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,102 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,677 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,415 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 344 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 536 | 521 |
| RBI | 1,509 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,733 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts | 1,710 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 153 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .421 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .557 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .977 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Mickey Mantle 96,302 to 67,905 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,069 vs 3,773 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Mickey Mantle owns home runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Mickey Mantle vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Mickey Mantle in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Mickey Mantle, with 536 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Mickey Mantle's .977.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Mickey Mantle's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Mickey Mantle's 2,415.