Tris Speaker vs Cy Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Tris Speaker 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). Tris Speaker played 1907–1928 as a hitter; Cy Williams played 1912–1930 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
Tris Speaker (1907–1928) and Cy Williams (1912–1930) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1910s respectively and share 17 seasons. Tris Speaker finished with 3,514 hits and 117 home runs; Cy Williams finished with 1,981 hits and 251 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Tris Speaker, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Cy Williams, with 251 to Tris Speaker's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Tris Speaker, with .928 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tris Speaker, with .345 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits? Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Cy Williams's 1,981.
- Who drove in more runs? Tris Speaker, with 1,529 to Cy Williams's 1,005.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Tris Speaker, with 73,242 career PIV to Cy Williams's 24,595.
Tris Speaker
Cy Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Tris Speaker and Cy 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 | Tris Speaker | Cy Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,789 | 2,002 |
| At-Bats not scored | 10,195 | 6,780 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,882 | 1,024 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,514 | 1,981 |
| Doubles | Leads: 792 | 306 |
| Triples | Leads: 222 | 74 |
| Home Runs | 117 | Leads: 251 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,529 | 1,005 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,381 | 690 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 393 | 721 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 432 | 115 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .345 | .292 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .428 | .365 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .500 | .470 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .835 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tris Speaker outpaces Cy Williams 73,242 to 24,595 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,329 PIV per season to 1,294, across 22 seasons to 19. 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).
Tris Speaker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Tris Speaker leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Cy Williams leads 1: home runs. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tris Speaker. PIV agrees: Tris Speaker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tris Speaker and Cy Williams careers compare
The careers of Tris Speaker (1907–1928) and Cy Williams (1912–1930) overlapped from 1912 to 1928, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,789 games against 2,002 across 22 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cy Williams's edges on the table are home runs (251 to 117). At the plate, Tris Speaker walked more often than struck out (1,381 walks, 393 strikeouts), while Cy Williams struck out more than walked (721 to 690). Home runs make up a larger share of Cy Williams's hits: 117 of 3,514 for Tris Speaker, 251 of 1,981 for Cy Williams.
Tris Speaker vs Cy Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tris Speaker or Cy Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tris Speaker leads Cy Williams in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Tris Speaker or Cy Williams hit more home runs?
- Cy Williams, with 251 to Tris Speaker's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Tris Speaker, with .928 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tris Speaker, with .345 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Tris Speaker, with 3,514 to Cy Williams's 1,981.