Pete Rose vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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
Pete Rose (1963–1986) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Billy Williams's 0.
Pete Rose
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Rose and Billy Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Rose | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,562 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 14,053 | 9,350 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,165 | 1,410 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,256 | 2,711 |
| Doubles | Leads: 746 | 434 |
| Triples | Leads: 135 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 160 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,566 | 1,045 |
| Strikeouts | 1,143 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 198 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .375 | .361 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .492 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams edges Pete Rose 44,022 to 40,772 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,446 vs 1,631 per year). 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).
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Billy Williams owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Rose. Note that PIV actually grades Billy Williams ahead, which means Pete Rose's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Pete Rose vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Rose or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Billy Williams in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Pete Rose or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Billy Williams's 2,711.