Ted Williams vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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
Ted Williams (1939–1960) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 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? Ted Williams, with 521 to Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Ted Williams's 1,839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Carl Yastrzemski's 54,310.
Ted Williams
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ted Williams | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,292 | Leads: 3,308 |
| At-Bats | 7,706 | Leads: 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,798 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 2,654 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 452 |
| RBI | 1,839 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,021 | 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 709 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 24 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .285 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .482 | .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .634 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.116 | .841 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Carl Yastrzemski 96,302 to 54,310 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 2,361 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Carl Yastrzemski'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
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in home runs, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Carl Yastrzemski owns hits, RBI, and runs. 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ted Williams's ended in 1960, and Carl Yastrzemski debuted in 1961. The two careers are close in length, 2,292 games for Ted Williams and 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski 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), and Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Ted Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 521 of 2,654 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Carl Yastrzemski stole more often per game played (24 steals in 2,292 games for Ted Williams, 168 in 3,308 for Carl Yastrzemski).
Ted Williams vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Ted Williams or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Carl Yastrzemski's 452.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Carl Yastrzemski's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Ted Williams's 2,654.