Billy Williams vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Billy Williams played 1959–1976 as a hitter; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 16 seasons. Billy Williams finished with 2,711 hits and 426 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Carl Yastrzemski, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Billy Williams's 2,711.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Billy Williams's 1,475.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Billy Williams's 44,022.
Billy Williams
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Billy Williams | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,488 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats not scored | 9,350 | 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,410 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,711 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 434 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 88 | 59 |
| Home Runs | 426 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,475 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,045 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,046 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 90 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .285 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .492 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .853 | .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski leads Billy Williams 54,310 to 44,022 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons to Billy Williams's 18, while Billy Williams carries the higher per-season figure (2,446 to 2,361). 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).
Billy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Carl Yastrzemski leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Billy Williams leads 4: triples, batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Williams and Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
From 1961 through 1976, Billy Williams and Carl Yastrzemski were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,488 games for Billy Williams and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Billy Williams are triples (88 to 59), batting average (.290 to .285), and slugging percentage (.492 to .462). Plate discipline differs: Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045), but Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Carl Yastrzemski was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Billy Williams vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Williams or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Billy Williams in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Billy Williams or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Billy Williams's 426.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Billy Williams's 2,711.