Billy Williams vs Christian Yelich: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Christian Yelich has played 2013–present 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 Christian Yelich (2013–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Billy Williams finished with 2,711 hits and 426 home runs; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Billy Williams, with 426 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Williams, with .853 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Williams, with .290 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits? Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.
- Who drove in more runs? Billy Williams, with 1,475 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Williams, with 44,022 career PIV to Christian Yelich's 20,940.
Billy Williams
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Billy Williams and Christian Yelich. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Billy Williams | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,488 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,350 | 6,550 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,410 | 1,102 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,711 | 1,845 |
| Doubles | Leads: 434 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 88 | 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 426 | 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,475 | 910 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,045 | 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,046 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 90 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .290 | .282 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .492 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .853 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Williams outpaces Christian Yelich 44,022 to 20,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,446 PIV per season to 1,611, across 18 seasons to 13. 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
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Christian Yelich owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Williams. PIV agrees: Billy Williams 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 Christian Yelich careers compare
Billy Williams (1959–1976) was finished before Christian Yelich (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,488 games against 1,734 across 18 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Christian Yelich comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (232 to 90) and on-base percentage (.370 to .361). Billy Williams struck out more than walked (1,046 to 1,045); Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). On the bases, Christian Yelich stole more often per game played (90 steals in 2,488 games for Billy Williams, 232 in 1,734 for Christian Yelich). Billy Williams's slugging percentage of .492 tops Christian Yelich's .459. Because Christian Yelich is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Billy Williams vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Williams or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Williams leads Christian Yelich in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Billy Williams or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Billy Williams, with 426 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Williams, with .853 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Williams, with .290 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Billy Williams, with 2,711 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.