Thurman Munson vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy 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). Thurman Munson played 1969–1979 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
Thurman Munson (1969–1979) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Thurman Munson finished with 1,558 hits and 113 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 Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average? Thurman Munson, with .292 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Thurman Munson's 701.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Thurman Munson's 8,466.
- Who won more championships? Thurman Munson, with 2 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
Thurman Munson
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Thurman Munson 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 | Thurman Munson | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,423 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 5,344 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | 696 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 1,558 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 229 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 113 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 701 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 438 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | 48 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .346 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .756 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Thurman Munson 44,022 to 8,466 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,446 PIV per season to 770, across 18 seasons to 11. 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).
Thurman Munson — 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 runs, while Thurman Munson owns batting average. 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 Thurman Munson and Billy Williams careers compare
Thurman Munson and Billy Williams were active at the same time between 1969 and 1976. The table compares 1,423 games of Thurman Munson with 2,488 of Billy Williams across 11 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Thurman Munson's edges on the table are batting average (.292 to .290). At the plate, Thurman Munson struck out more than walked (571 to 438), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Billy Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 426 of 2,711 hits leaving the park. Billy Williams owns the better peak by OPS: .849 OPS in 1973 for Thurman Munson against 1.005 OPS in 1972 for Billy Williams.
Thurman Munson vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Thurman Munson or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Thurman Munson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Thurman Munson or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Thurman Munson's .756.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Thurman Munson, with .292 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Thurman Munson's 1,558.