Shohei Ohtani vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted 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). Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–present 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
Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Shohei Ohtani's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Shohei Ohtani, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Shohei Ohtani
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Shohei Ohtani 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 2010s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Shohei Ohtani | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,172 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 4,253 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 797 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,194 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 218 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 310 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 750 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 622 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,256 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 176 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .375 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .574 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .948 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Shohei Ohtani 96,302 to 24,591 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 3,074, across 19 seasons to 8. 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).
Shohei Ohtani — 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 Shohei Ohtani 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 Shohei Ohtani and Ted Williams careers compare
Ted Williams (1939–1960) was finished before Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 1,172 games of Shohei Ohtani with 2,292 of Ted Williams across 8 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Shohei Ohtani are stolen bases (176 to 24). Plate discipline differs: Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Shohei Ohtani's hits: 310 of 1,194 for Shohei Ohtani, 521 of 2,654 for Ted Williams. Shohei Ohtani was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Shohei Ohtani's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Shohei Ohtani vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Shohei Ohtani or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Shohei Ohtani in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Shohei Ohtani or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Shohei Ohtani's .948.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.