Joe Medwick vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Joe Medwick played 1932–1948 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
Joe Medwick (1932–1948) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — both broke in during the 1930s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Joe Medwick finished with 2,471 hits and 205 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? Ted Williams, with 521 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Joe Medwick's .324.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Joe Medwick's 1,383.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Joe Medwick's 28,897.
- Who won more championships? Joe Medwick, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
Joe Medwick
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Medwick 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Medwick | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,984 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 7,635 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,198 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,471 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 540 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 113 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 205 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,383 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 437 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 551 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 42 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .324 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .362 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .505 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .867 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Joe Medwick 96,302 to 28,897 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,445 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Joe Medwick's 20. 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).
Joe Medwick — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joe Medwick 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 Joe Medwick and Ted Williams careers compare
From 1939 through 1948, Joe Medwick and Ted Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,984 games for Joe Medwick and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 20 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Joe Medwick's edges on the table are doubles (540 to 525), triples (113 to 71), and stolen bases (42 to 24). At the plate, Joe Medwick struck out more than walked (551 to 437), while Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ted Williams's hits: 205 of 2,471 for Joe Medwick, 521 of 2,654 for Ted Williams.
Joe Medwick vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Medwick or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Joe Medwick in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Joe Medwick or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Joe Medwick's 205.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Joe Medwick's .867.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Joe Medwick's .324.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Joe Medwick's 2,471.