Duke Snider vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Duke Snider played 1947–1964 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
Duke Snider (1947–1964) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they debuted in the 1940s and the 1950s respectively and share 6 seasons. Duke Snider finished with 2,116 hits and 407 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 leads the career comparison? Billy Williams, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Duke Snider's 407.
- Who had the higher OPS? Duke Snider, with .919 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Duke Snider, with .295 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Duke Snider's 2,116.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Duke Snider's 1,333.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Duke Snider's 39,968.
Duke Snider
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Duke Snider and Billy 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 | Duke Snider | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,143 | 2,488 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,161 | 9,350 |
| Runs | 1,259 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 2,116 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 358 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 85 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 407 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 1,333 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 971 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,237 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 99 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .380 | .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .540 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .919 | .853 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams leads Duke Snider 44,022 to 39,968 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 2,220 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Duke Snider's 18. 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).
Duke Snider — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Billy Williams leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Duke Snider leads 5: stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and others. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Williams. PIV agrees: Billy Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Duke Snider and Billy Williams careers compare
The careers of Duke Snider (1947–1964) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) overlapped from 1959 to 1964, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,143 games against 2,488 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Duke Snider struck out more than walked (1,237 to 971), and Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Duke Snider's slugging percentage of .540 tops Billy Williams's .492. Duke Snider owns the better peak by OPS: 1.071 OPS in 1954 for Duke Snider against 1.005 OPS in 1972 for Billy Williams.
Duke Snider vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Duke Snider or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Duke Snider in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Duke Snider or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Duke Snider's 407.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Duke Snider, with .919 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Duke Snider, with .295 to Billy Williams's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Duke Snider's 2,116.