Cy Williams vs Ken Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Cy Williams played 1912–1930 as a hitter; Ken Williams played 1915–1929 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
Cy Williams (1912–1930) and Ken Williams (1915–1929) — both broke in during the 1910s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Cy Williams finished with 1,981 hits and 251 home runs; Ken Williams finished with 1,552 hits and 196 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Cy Williams, with 251 to Ken Williams's 196.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ken Williams, with .924 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ken Williams, with .319 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits? Cy Williams, with 1,981 to Ken Williams's 1,552.
- Who drove in more runs? Cy Williams, with 1,005 to Ken Williams's 913.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ken Williams, with 26,593 career PIV to Cy Williams's 24,595.
Cy Williams
Ken Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cy Williams and Ken Williams. 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 | Cy Williams | Ken Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,002 | 1,397 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,780 | 4,862 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,024 | 860 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,981 | 1,552 |
| Doubles | Leads: 306 | 285 |
| Triples | 74 | Leads: 77 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 251 | 196 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,005 | 913 |
| Walks | Leads: 690 | 566 |
| Strikeouts | 721 | 287 |
| Stolen Bases | 115 | Leads: 154 |
| Batting Avg | .292 | Leads: .319 |
| On-Base % | .365 | Leads: .393 |
| Slugging % | .470 | Leads: .530 |
| OPS | .835 | Leads: .924 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Williams edges Cy Williams 26,593 to 24,595 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,900 vs 1,294 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).
Cy Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Williams leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Cy Williams owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Williams. PIV agrees: Ken Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Cy Williams vs Ken Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cy Williams or Ken Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Williams leads Ken Williams in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Cy Williams or Ken Williams hit more home runs?
- Cy Williams, with 251 to Ken Williams's 196.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ken Williams, with .924 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ken Williams, with .319 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Cy Williams, with 1,981 to Ken Williams's 1,552.