Billy Williams vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Winfield 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). Billy Williams played 1959–1976 as a hitter; Dave Winfield played 1973–1995 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
Billy Williams (1959–1976) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Williams finished with 2,711 hits and 426 home runs; Dave Winfield finished with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Dave Winfield, with 465 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Dave Winfield, with 1,833 to Billy Williams's 1,475.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Billy Williams's 0.
Billy Williams
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Williams and Dave Winfield. 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 1950s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Williams | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,488 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 9,350 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | 1,410 | Leads: 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,711 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 434 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 88 | 88 |
| Home Runs | 426 | Leads: 465 |
| RBI | 1,475 | Leads: 1,833 |
| Walks | 1,045 | Leads: 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,046 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 90 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .361 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .492 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: .853 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams leads Dave Winfield 44,022 to 34,842 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 1,515 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Williams played 18 seasons to Dave Winfield's 23. 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).
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Winfield leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Williams owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Winfield. Note that PIV actually grades Billy Williams ahead, which means Dave Winfield's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Williams and Dave Winfield careers compare
From 1973 through 1976, Billy Williams and Dave Winfield were in the majors together. With 2,488 games against 2,973 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Billy Williams's edges on the table are batting average (.290 to .283), on-base percentage (.361 to .353), and slugging percentage (.492 to .475). Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045); Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). On the bases, Dave Winfield stole more often per game played (90 steals in 2,488 games for Billy Williams, 223 in 2,973 for Dave Winfield). In on-base percentage, Billy Williams holds the edge, .361 to .353.
Billy Williams vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Williams or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Winfield leads Billy Williams in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Williams or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Dave Winfield, with 465 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Billy Williams's 2,711.