Ted Williams vs Christian Yelich: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; 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
Ted Williams (1939–1960) and Christian Yelich (2013–present) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 home runs through October 6, 2026. 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 Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Christian Yelich's 20,940.
Ted Williams
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ted 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 1930s 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 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Ted Williams | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,292 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,706 | 6,550 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,798 | 1,102 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,654 | 1,845 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 350 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,839 | 910 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,021 | 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 709 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 24 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .482 | .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .634 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.116 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Christian Yelich 96,302 to 20,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 1,611, across 19 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).
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Christian Yelich owns 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 Christian Yelich careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ted Williams's ended in 1960, and Christian Yelich debuted in 2013. With 2,292 games against 1,734 across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Christian Yelich's edges on the table are stolen bases (232 to 24). Plate discipline differs: Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts), but Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Ted Williams is the more power-leaning hitter, with 521 of 2,654 hits leaving the park. On the bases, Christian Yelich stole more often per game played (24 steals in 2,292 games for Ted Williams, 232 in 1,734 for Christian Yelich). Christian Yelich's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Ted Williams vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ted Williams or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Christian Yelich in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ted Williams or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.