Jackie Robinson 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). Jackie Robinson played 1947–1956 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
Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jackie Robinson finished with 1,568 hits and 141 home runs; 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 Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Jackie Robinson's .887.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Jackie Robinson's 764.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Jackie Robinson's 25,382.
- Who won more championships? Jackie Robinson, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
Jackie Robinson
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jackie Robinson 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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jackie Robinson | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,418 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 5,006 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 974 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 1,568 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 55 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 141 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 764 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 756 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 291 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 203 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .313 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .410 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .477 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .887 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Jackie Robinson 96,302 to 25,382 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 2,307, across 19 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).
Jackie Robinson — 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 Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams careers compare
The careers of Jackie Robinson (1947–1956) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) overlapped from 1947 to 1956, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,418 games of Jackie Robinson with 2,292 of Ted Williams across 11 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Jackie Robinson comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (203 to 24). Jackie Robinson walked more often than struck out (756 walks, 291 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 521 of 2,654 hits leaving the park.
Jackie Robinson vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jackie Robinson or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Jackie Robinson in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jackie Robinson or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Jackie Robinson's 141.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Jackie Robinson's .887.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Jackie Robinson's .313.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Jackie Robinson's 1,568.