Alex Rodriguez vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Alex Rodriguez has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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
Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 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? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Alex Rodriguez's .930.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits? Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Ted Williams's 1,839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Alex Rodriguez's 54,389.
- Who won more championships? Alex Rodriguez, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
Alex Rodriguez
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Alex Rodriguez 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 1990s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Alex Rodriguez | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,784 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,566 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,021 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,115 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 548 | 525 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 696 | 521 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,086 | 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,338 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,287 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 329 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .295 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .380 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .550 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .930 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Alex Rodriguez 96,302 to 54,389 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 2,472 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Alex Rodriguez's 22. 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).
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ted Williams owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. Note that PIV actually grades Ted Williams ahead, which means Alex Rodriguez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Alex Rodriguez and Ted Williams careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ted Williams's ended in 1960, and Alex Rodriguez debuted in 1994. The two careers are close in length, 2,784 games for Alex Rodriguez and 2,292 for Ted Williams across 22 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Plate discipline differs: Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). On the bases, Alex Rodriguez stole more often per game played (329 steals in 2,784 games for Alex Rodriguez, 24 in 2,292 for Ted Williams). In on-base percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .482 to .380.
Alex Rodriguez vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Alex Rodriguez or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alex Rodriguez leads Ted Williams in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Alex Rodriguez or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Alex Rodriguez's .930.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Ted Williams's 2,654.