Larry Walker vs Bernie Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Walker has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Larry Walker played 1989–2005 as a hitter; Bernie Williams played 1991–2006 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
Larry Walker (1989–2005) and Bernie Williams (1991–2006) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Larry Walker finished with 2,160 hits and 383 home runs; Bernie Williams finished with 2,336 hits and 287 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Larry Walker, with 383 to Bernie Williams's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS? Larry Walker, with .965 to Bernie Williams's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average? Larry Walker, with .313 to Bernie Williams's .297.
- Who had more hits? Bernie Williams, with 2,336 to Larry Walker's 2,160.
- Who drove in more runs? Larry Walker, with 1,311 to Bernie Williams's 1,257.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Larry Walker, with 42,378 career PIV to Bernie Williams's 24,401.
- Who won more championships? Bernie Williams, with 4 World Series titles to Larry Walker's 0.
Larry Walker
Bernie Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Larry Walker and Bernie 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Walker | Bernie Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,988 | Leads: 2,076 |
| At-Bats | 6,907 | Leads: 7,869 |
| Runs | 1,355 | Leads: 1,366 |
| Hits | 2,160 | Leads: 2,336 |
| Doubles | Leads: 471 | 449 |
| Triples | Leads: 62 | 55 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 383 | 287 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,311 | 1,257 |
| Walks | 913 | Leads: 1,069 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,231 | 1,212 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 230 | 147 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .400 | .381 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .565 | .477 |
| OPS | Leads: .965 | .858 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Walker outpaces Bernie Williams 42,378 to 24,401 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,354 PIV per season to 1,525, across 18 seasons to 16. 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).
Larry Walker — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bernie Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Larry Walker leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Bernie Williams owns hits and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry Walker. PIV agrees: Larry Walker grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Walker and Bernie Williams careers compare
From 1991 through 2005, Larry Walker and Bernie Williams were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,988 games for Larry Walker and 2,076 for Bernie Williams across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Larry Walker struck out more than walked (1,231 to 913); Bernie Williams struck out more than walked (1,212 to 1,069). Larry Walker is the more power-leaning hitter, with 383 of 2,160 hits leaving the park. Larry Walker was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Larry Walker holds the edge, .565 to .477.
Larry Walker vs Bernie Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Walker or Bernie Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Larry Walker leads Bernie Williams in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Larry Walker or Bernie Williams hit more home runs?
- Larry Walker, with 383 to Bernie Williams's 287.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Larry Walker, with .965 to Bernie Williams's .858.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Larry Walker, with .313 to Bernie Williams's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Bernie Williams, with 2,336 to Larry Walker's 2,160.