Ted Williams vs Dave Winfield: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ted Williams played 1939–1960 as a hitter; Dave Winfield played 1973–1995 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
Ted Williams (1939–1960) and Dave Winfield (1973–1995) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs; Dave Winfield finished with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Dave Winfield's 465.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits? Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Dave Winfield's 1,833.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Dave Winfield's 34,842.
- Who won more championships? Dave Winfield, with 1 World Series title to Ted Williams's 0.
Ted Williams
Dave Winfield
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ted Williams and Dave Winfield. 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 1930s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ted Williams | Dave Winfield |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,292 | Leads: 2,973 |
| At-Bats | 7,706 | Leads: 11,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,798 | 1,669 |
| Hits | 2,654 | Leads: 3,110 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 540 |
| Triples | 71 | Leads: 88 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 465 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,839 | 1,833 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,021 | 1,216 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 709 | 1,686 |
| Stolen Bases | 24 | Leads: 223 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .283 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .482 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .634 | .475 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.116 | .827 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Dave Winfield 96,302 to 34,842 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 1,515 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Dave Winfield's 23. 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).
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Dave Winfield — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Dave Winfield owns hits and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ted Williams and Dave Winfield careers compare
Ted Williams (1939–1960) was finished before Dave Winfield (1973–1995) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,292 games for Ted Williams and 2,973 for Dave Winfield across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts), while Dave Winfield struck out more than walked (1,686 to 1,216). Home runs make up a larger share of Ted Williams's hits: 521 of 2,654 for Ted Williams, 465 of 3,110 for Dave Winfield. Dave Winfield was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Ted Williams vs Dave Winfield: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ted Williams or Dave Winfield?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Dave Winfield in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ted Williams or Dave Winfield hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Dave Winfield's 465.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Dave Winfield's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Dave Winfield's .283.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Winfield, with 3,110 to Ted Williams's 2,654.