Jim Rice vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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
Jim Rice (1974–1989) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 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 leads the career comparison? Billy Williams, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Jim Rice's 1,451.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Jim Rice's 31,418.
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jim Rice and Billy Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Rice | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,089 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,225 | 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,249 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,452 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 373 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 79 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 382 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,451 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 670 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,423 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .298 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .352 | Leads: .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .502 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .854 | .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Jim Rice 44,022 to 31,418 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,446 PIV per season to 1,964, across 18 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Billy Williams leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Jim Rice leads 3: batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. 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 Jim Rice and Billy Williams careers compare
The careers of Jim Rice (1974–1989) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) overlapped from 1974 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,089 games against 2,488 across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jim Rice's edges on the table are batting average (.298 to .290), slugging percentage (.502 to .492), and OPS (.854 to .853). Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670); Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Jim Rice's slugging percentage of .502 tops Billy Williams's .492.
Jim Rice vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Rice or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Jim Rice in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jim Rice or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Jim Rice's 2,452.