Joe Morgan vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Morgan and Billy Williams are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Joe Morgan played 1963–1984 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
Joe Morgan (1963–1984) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Joe Morgan finished with 2,517 hits and 268 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? Billy Williams, with 426 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Joe Morgan's 1,133.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Joe Morgan's 39,255.
- Who won more championships? Joe Morgan, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
Joe Morgan
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Joe Morgan and Billy 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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Morgan | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,649 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 9,277 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,650 | 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,517 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 449 | 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 96 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 268 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,133 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,865 | 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,015 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 689 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .392 | .361 |
| Slugging % | .427 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .819 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams leads Joe Morgan 44,022 to 39,255 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 1,784 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Joe Morgan's 22. 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 Morgan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Joe Morgan owns runs, stolen bases, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Williams. PIV agrees: Billy Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Morgan and Billy Williams careers compare
Joe Morgan and Billy Williams were active at the same time between 1963 and 1976. With 2,649 games against 2,488 across 22 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Joe Morgan walked more often than struck out (1,865 walks, 1,015 strikeouts), but Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Home runs make up a larger share of Billy Williams's hits: 268 of 2,517 for Joe Morgan, 426 of 2,711 for Billy Williams. Joe Morgan was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Billy Williams's slugging percentage of .492 tops Joe Morgan's .427.
Joe Morgan vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Joe Morgan or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Joe Morgan's 268.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Joe Morgan's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Joe Morgan's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Joe Morgan's 2,517.