Billy Williams vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. 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 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. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Williams | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,488 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 9,350 | Leads: 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 | 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 gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,361 vs 2,446 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Carl Yastrzemski leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Billy Williams owns batting average and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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
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 10 of 14 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.