Ted Simmons vs Earl Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Simmons has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ted Simmons played 1968–1988 as a hitter; Earl Williams played 1970–1977 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
Ted Simmons (1968–1988) and Earl Williams (1970–1977) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ted Simmons finished with 2,472 hits and 248 home runs; Earl Williams finished with 756 hits and 138 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Simmons, with 248 to Earl Williams's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Simmons, with .785 to Earl Williams's .742.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Simmons, with .285 to Earl Williams's .247.
- Who had more hits? Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to Earl Williams's 756.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Simmons, with 1,389 to Earl Williams's 457.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Simmons, with 20,131 career PIV to Earl Williams's 4,029.
Ted Simmons
Earl Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ted Simmons and Earl 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ted Simmons | Earl Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,456 | 889 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,680 | 3,058 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,074 | 361 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,472 | 756 |
| Doubles | Leads: 483 | 115 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 248 | 138 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,389 | 457 |
| Walks | Leads: 855 | 298 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 694 | 574 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 21 | 2 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .285 | .247 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .348 | .318 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .437 | .424 |
| OPS | Leads: .785 | .742 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Simmons outpaces Earl Williams 20,131 to 4,029 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 959 PIV per season to 448, across 21 seasons to 9. 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).
Ted Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS
Earl Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Simmons leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Earl Williams owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Simmons. PIV agrees: Ted Simmons grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ted Simmons and Earl Williams careers compare
From 1970 through 1977, Ted Simmons and Earl Williams were in the majors together. Ted Simmons has the far longer record, 2,456 games against 889 across 21 and 9 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Ted Simmons leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Ted Simmons walked more often than struck out (855 walks, 694 strikeouts), while Earl Williams struck out more than walked (574 to 298). Home runs make up a larger share of Earl Williams's hits: 248 of 2,472 for Ted Simmons, 138 of 756 for Earl Williams. In on-base percentage, Ted Simmons holds the edge, .348 to .318.
Ted Simmons vs Earl Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ted Simmons or Earl Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Simmons leads Earl Williams in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ted Simmons or Earl Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Simmons, with 248 to Earl Williams's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Simmons, with .785 to Earl Williams's .742.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Simmons, with .285 to Earl Williams's .247.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Simmons, with 2,472 to Earl Williams's 756.