Don Mattingly vs Bernie Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Bernie Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 as a hitter; Bernie Williams played 1991–2006 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
Don Mattingly (1982–1995) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 home runs; Bernie Williams finished with 2,336 hits and 287 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bernie Williams, with 287 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bernie Williams, with .858 to Don Mattingly's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Bernie Williams's .297.
- Who had more hits? Bernie Williams, with 2,336 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.
- Who drove in more runs? Bernie Williams, with 1,257 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Bernie Williams, with 24,401 career PIV to Don Mattingly's 21,189.
- Who won more championships? Bernie Williams, with 4 World Series titles to Don Mattingly's 0.
Don Mattingly
Bernie Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Don Mattingly and Bernie 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Mattingly | Bernie Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,785 | Leads: 2,076 |
| At-Bats | 7,003 | Leads: 7,869 |
| Runs | 1,007 | Leads: 1,366 |
| Hits | 2,153 | Leads: 2,336 |
| Doubles | 442 | Leads: 449 |
| Triples | 20 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 222 | Leads: 287 |
| RBI | 1,099 | Leads: 1,257 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,069 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 444 | 1,212 |
| Stolen Bases | 14 | Leads: 147 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .307 | .297 |
| On-Base % | .358 | Leads: .381 |
| Slugging % | .471 | Leads: .477 |
| OPS | .830 | Leads: .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bernie Williams leads Don Mattingly 24,401 to 21,189 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,525 PIV per season to 1,514, across 16 seasons to 14. 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).
Don Mattingly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bernie Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bernie Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Don Mattingly owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bernie Williams. PIV agrees: Bernie Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Mattingly and Bernie Williams careers compare
From 1991 through 1995, Don Mattingly and Bernie Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,785 games for Don Mattingly and 2,076 for Bernie Williams across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Don Mattingly comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.307 to .297). At the plate, Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts), while Bernie Williams struck out more than walked (1,212 to 1,069). On the bases, Bernie Williams stole more often per game played (14 steals in 1,785 games for Don Mattingly, 147 in 2,076 for Bernie Williams).
Don Mattingly vs Bernie Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Mattingly or Bernie Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bernie Williams leads Don Mattingly in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Don Mattingly or Bernie Williams hit more home runs?
- Bernie Williams, with 287 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bernie Williams, with .858 to Don Mattingly's .830.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Don Mattingly, with .307 to Bernie Williams's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Bernie Williams, with 2,336 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.