Ted Williams vs Ben Zobrist: 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Ben Zobrist, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Ted Williams
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ted Williams and Ben Zobrist. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ted Williams | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,292 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,706 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,798 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,654 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 525 | 349 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 521 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,839 | 768 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,021 | 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 709 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | 24 | Leads: 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .344 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .482 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .634 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.116 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Ben Zobrist 96,302 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 714, across 19 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
No season is shared: Ted Williams played 1939–1960, Ben Zobrist 2006–2019. With 2,292 games against 1,651 across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ben Zobrist are stolen bases (116 to 24). Plate discipline differs: Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts), but Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Home runs make up a larger share of Ted Williams's hits: 521 of 2,654 for Ted Williams, 167 of 1,566 for Ben Zobrist.
Ted Williams vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ted Williams or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Ben Zobrist in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ted Williams or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.