Babe Ruth vs Ken Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1910s. 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 leads the career comparison? Babe Ruth, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Ruth | Ken Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,503 | 1,397 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 1,900, across 22 seasons to 14. 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
Babe Ruth leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Ken Williams leads 1: stolen bases. 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
How the Babe Ruth and Ken Williams careers compare
The careers of Babe Ruth (1914–1935) and Ken Williams (1915–1929) overlapped from 1915 to 1929, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 2,503 games of Babe Ruth with 1,397 of Ken Williams across 22 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Ken Williams's edges on the table are stolen bases (154 to 123). At the plate, Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts), and Ken Williams walked more often than struck out (566 walks, 287 strikeouts). Babe Ruth is the more power-leaning hitter, with 714 of 2,873 hits leaving the park.
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 11 of the 12 scored 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.