Willie McCovey vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Willie McCovey played 1959–1980 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
Willie McCovey (1959–1980) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie McCovey finished with 2,211 hits and 521 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? Neither — both are at 521.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Willie McCovey's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Willie McCovey's 1,555.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Willie McCovey's 47,331.
Willie McCovey
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie McCovey and Ted 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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie McCovey | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,588 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,197 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,229 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,211 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 353 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 46 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 521 | 521 |
| RBI | 1,555 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,345 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,550 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 26 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .270 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .515 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .889 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Willie McCovey 96,302 to 47,331 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 2,058 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Willie McCovey's 23. 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).
Willie McCovey — 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 Willie McCovey owns 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
How the Willie McCovey and Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Willie McCovey (1959–1980) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1959 to 1960, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,588 games against 2,292 across 23 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Willie McCovey are games (2,588 to 2,292), at-bats (8,197 to 7,706), and stolen bases (26 to 24). Plate discipline differs: Willie McCovey struck out more than walked (1,550 to 1,345), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .634 to .515.
Willie McCovey vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie McCovey or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Willie McCovey in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie McCovey or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Neither — both are at 521.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Willie McCovey's .889.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Willie McCovey's .270.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Willie McCovey's 2,211.