Cy Williams vs Hack Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Cy Williams played 1912–1930 as a hitter; Hack Wilson played 1923–1934 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 Hack Wilson (1923–1934) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cy Williams finished with 1,981 hits and 251 home runs; Hack Wilson finished with 1,461 hits and 244 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 Hack Wilson's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hack Wilson, with .940 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hack Wilson, with .307 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits? Cy Williams, with 1,981 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.
- Who drove in more runs? Hack Wilson, with 1,063 to Cy Williams's 1,005.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hack Wilson, with 27,235 career PIV to Cy Williams's 24,595.
Cy Williams
Hack Wilson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cy Williams and Hack Wilson. 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 | Hack Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,002 | 1,348 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,780 | 4,760 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,024 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,981 | 1,461 |
| Doubles | Leads: 306 | 266 |
| Triples | Leads: 74 | 67 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 251 | 244 |
| RBI | 1,005 | Leads: 1,063 |
| Walks | Leads: 690 | 674 |
| Strikeouts | 721 | 713 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 115 | 52 |
| Batting Avg | .292 | Leads: .307 |
| On-Base % | .365 | Leads: .395 |
| Slugging % | .470 | Leads: .545 |
| OPS | .835 | Leads: .940 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hack Wilson leads Cy Williams 27,235 to 24,595 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,095 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
Hack Wilson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hack Wilson leads in RBI, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Cy Williams owns hits, home runs, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hack Wilson. PIV agrees: Hack Wilson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Cy Williams vs Hack Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cy Williams or Hack Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Williams leads Hack Wilson in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Cy Williams or Hack Wilson hit more home runs?
- Cy Williams, with 251 to Hack Wilson's 244.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hack Wilson, with .940 to Cy Williams's .835.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hack Wilson, with .307 to Cy Williams's .292.
- Who had more hits?
- Cy Williams, with 1,981 to Hack Wilson's 1,461.