Babe Ruth vs Ken Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 as a hitter; Ken Williams played 1915–1929 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
Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Ken Williams (1915–1929) — both broke in during the 1910s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs; Ken Williams finished with 1,552 hits and 196 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ken Williams's 196.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ken Williams's .924.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Ken Williams's .319.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Ken Williams's 1,552.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Ken Williams's 913.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Ken Williams's 26,593.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Ken Williams's 0.
Babe Ruth
Ken Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Babe Ruth and Ken 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 | Babe Ruth | Ken Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,503 | 1,397 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,398 | 4,862 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 860 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,873 | 1,552 |
| Doubles | Leads: 506 | 285 |
| Triples | Leads: 136 | 77 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 714 | 196 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,217 | 913 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,062 | 566 |
| Strikeouts | 1,330 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | 123 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .342 | .319 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .474 | .393 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .690 | .530 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.164 | .924 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Ken Williams 111,979 to 26,593 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,090 vs 1,900 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).
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ken Williams owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Babe Ruth vs Ken Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Ruth or Ken Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Ken Williams in 13 of 14 categories.
- Did Babe Ruth or Ken Williams hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Ken Williams's 196.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Ken Williams's .924.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Ken Williams's .319.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Ken Williams's 1,552.