Scott Rolen vs Matt Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Scott Rolen 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). Scott Rolen played 1996–2012 as a hitter; Matt Williams played 1987–2003 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
Scott Rolen (1996–2012) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Scott Rolen finished with 2,077 hits and 316 home runs; Matt Williams finished with 1,878 hits and 378 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Matt Williams, with 378 to Scott Rolen's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? Scott Rolen, with .855 to Matt Williams's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Scott Rolen, with .281 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits? Scott Rolen, with 2,077 to Matt Williams's 1,878.
- Who drove in more runs? Scott Rolen, with 1,287 to Matt Williams's 1,218.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Scott Rolen, with 20,867 career PIV to Matt Williams's 9,982.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Scott Rolen
Matt Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Scott Rolen and Matt 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Scott Rolen | Matt Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,038 | 1,866 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,398 | 7,000 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,211 | 997 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,077 | 1,878 |
| Doubles | Leads: 517 | 338 |
| Triples | Leads: 43 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 316 | Leads: 378 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,287 | 1,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 899 | 469 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,410 | 1,363 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 118 | 53 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .281 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .364 | .317 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .490 | .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .855 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Scott Rolen outpaces Matt Williams 20,867 to 9,982 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,098 PIV per season to 587, across 19 seasons to 17. 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).
Scott Rolen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Matt Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Scott Rolen leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Matt Williams owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Scott Rolen. PIV agrees: Scott Rolen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Scott Rolen and Matt Williams careers compare
The careers of Scott Rolen (1996–2012) and Matt Williams (1987–2003) overlapped from 1996 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,038 games against 1,866 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Matt Williams are home runs (378 to 316). Scott Rolen struck out more than walked (1,410 to 899); Matt Williams struck out more than walked (1,363 to 469). Home runs make up a larger share of Matt Williams's hits: 316 of 2,077 for Scott Rolen, 378 of 1,878 for Matt Williams. Scott Rolen was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Scott Rolen vs Matt Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Scott Rolen or Matt Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Scott Rolen leads Matt Williams in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Scott Rolen or Matt Williams hit more home runs?
- Matt Williams, with 378 to Scott Rolen's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Scott Rolen, with .855 to Matt Williams's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Scott Rolen, with .281 to Matt Williams's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Scott Rolen, with 2,077 to Matt Williams's 1,878.