Pete Rose vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose and Ted Williams are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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
Pete Rose (1963–1986) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Pete Rose
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Rose 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 1960s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Rose | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,562 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 14,053 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,165 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 4,256 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 746 | 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 135 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 160 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,314 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,566 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,143 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 198 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .375 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .409 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Pete Rose 96,302 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Pete Rose's 25. 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).
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Pete Rose owns hits, runs, and 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 Pete Rose and Ted Williams careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ted Williams's ended in 1960, and Pete Rose debuted in 1963. The table compares 3,562 games of Pete Rose with 2,292 of Ted Williams across 25 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts); Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Ted Williams's hits: 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose, 521 of 2,654 for Ted Williams. On the bases, Pete Rose stole more often per game played (198 steals in 3,562 games for Pete Rose, 24 in 2,292 for Ted Williams).
Pete Rose vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Pete Rose or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Pete Rose's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Ted Williams's 2,654.