Thurman Munson vs Earl Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Thurman Munson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Earl Williams played 1970–1977 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 Earl Williams (1970–1977) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Thurman Munson finished with 1,558 hits and 113 home runs; Earl Williams finished with 756 hits and 138 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Earl Williams, with 138 to Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS? Thurman Munson, with .756 to Earl Williams's .742.
- Who had the higher batting average? Thurman Munson, with .292 to Earl Williams's .247.
- Who had more hits? Thurman Munson, with 1,558 to Earl Williams's 756.
- Who drove in more runs? Thurman Munson, with 701 to Earl Williams's 457.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Thurman Munson, with 8,466 career PIV to Earl Williams's 4,029.
- Who won more championships? Thurman Munson, with 2 World Series titles to Earl Williams's 0.
Thurman Munson
Earl Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Thurman Munson and Earl 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Thurman Munson | Earl Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,423 | 889 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 5,344 | 3,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 696 | 361 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,558 | 756 |
| Doubles | Leads: 229 | 115 |
| Triples | Leads: 32 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 113 | Leads: 138 |
| RBI | Leads: 701 | 457 |
| Walks | Leads: 438 | 298 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 571 | 574 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 48 | 2 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .292 | .247 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .346 | .318 |
| Slugging % | .410 | Leads: .424 |
| OPS | Leads: .756 | .742 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Thurman Munson outpaces Earl Williams 8,466 to 4,029 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 770 PIV per season to 448, across 11 seasons to 9. 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
Earl Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Thurman Munson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Earl Williams owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Thurman Munson. PIV agrees: Thurman Munson 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 Earl Williams careers compare
Thurman Munson and Earl Williams were active at the same time between 1970 and 1977. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Thurman Munson appeared in 1,423 games to Earl Williams's 889. Where Earl Williams comes out ahead, it is in home runs (138 to 113) and slugging percentage (.424 to .410). Thurman Munson struck out more than walked (571 to 438); Earl Williams struck out more than walked (574 to 298). Home runs make up a larger share of Earl Williams's hits: 113 of 1,558 for Thurman Munson, 138 of 756 for Earl Williams. Earl Williams's slugging percentage of .424 tops Thurman Munson's .410.
Thurman Munson vs Earl Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Thurman Munson or Earl Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Thurman Munson leads Earl Williams in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Thurman Munson or Earl Williams hit more home runs?
- Earl Williams, with 138 to Thurman Munson's 113.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Thurman Munson, with .756 to Earl Williams's .742.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Thurman Munson, with .292 to Earl Williams's .247.
- Who had more hits?
- Thurman Munson, with 1,558 to Earl Williams's 756.