Juan Soto vs Billy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Juan Soto has played 2018–present 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
Juan Soto (2018–present) and Billy Williams (1959–1976) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Juan Soto has 1,196 hits and 271 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Juan Soto, with .945 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Juan Soto's 1,196.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Juan Soto's 765.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Juan Soto's 27,584.
- Who won more championships? Juan Soto, with 1 World Series title to Billy Williams's 0.
Billy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Juan Soto and Billy 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 2010s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Juan Soto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Juan Soto | Billy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,207 | Leads: 2,488 |
| At-Bats | 4,257 | Leads: 9,350 |
| Runs | 838 | Leads: 1,410 |
| Hits | 1,196 | Leads: 2,711 |
| Doubles | 210 | Leads: 434 |
| Triples | 18 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | 271 | Leads: 426 |
| RBI | 765 | Leads: 1,475 |
| Walks | 974 | Leads: 1,045 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 898 | 1,046 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 104 | 90 |
| Batting Avg | .281 | Leads: .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .415 | .361 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .530 | .492 |
| OPS | Leads: .945 | .853 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Juan Soto 44,022 to 27,584 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Juan Soto's 9, while Juan Soto carries the higher per-season figure (3,065 to 2,446). 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).
Juan Soto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Juan Soto owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Juan Soto and Billy Williams careers compare
Billy Williams (1959–1976) was finished before Juan Soto (2018–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Billy Williams has the far longer record, 2,488 games against 1,207 across 9 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Juan Soto's edges on the table are stolen bases (104 to 90), on-base percentage (.415 to .361), and slugging percentage (.530 to .492). Plate discipline differs: Juan Soto walked more often than struck out (974 walks, 898 strikeouts), but Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045). Home runs make up a larger share of Juan Soto's hits: 271 of 1,196 for Juan Soto, 426 of 2,711 for Billy Williams. Juan Soto's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Juan Soto vs Billy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Soto or Billy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Juan Soto in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Juan Soto or Billy Williams hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Juan Soto's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Juan Soto, with .945 to Billy Williams's .853.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Juan Soto's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Juan Soto's 1,196.