Billy Williams
Outfielder · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1959-1976)
Billy Williams was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1976 for the Chicago Cubs and the Athletics, a span of 18 seasons. In 2,488 career games, he hit .290 with 2,711 hits, 426 home runs, and 1,475 RBI. Billy Williams was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was a 6-time All-Star and a Rookie of the Year. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 44,022.
- 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
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1959-08-06
- Last Game
- 1976-10-02
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1987 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 6× All-Star · Rookie of the Year
Full name: Billy Leo Williams
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,488 | 9,350 | 1,410 | 2,711 | 434 | 88 | 426 | 1,475 | 90 | 1,045 | 1,046 | .290 | .361 | .492 | .853 | 44,022 |
Career AVG .290 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — +15.5% above league average.
Career OBP .361 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — +13.7% above league average.
Career SLG .492 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — +31.9% above league average.
Career OPS .853 vs. league average .691 across their career seasons — +23.5% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | CHN | NL | 18 | 33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1960 | CHN | NL | 12 | 47 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 12 | .277 | — | — | — | — | 122.9 |
| 1961 | CHN | NL | 146 | 529 | 75 | 147 | 20 | 7 | 25 | 86 | 6 | 45 | 70 | .278 | .258 (+8%) | .328 (+3%) | .399 (+21%) | .727 (+13%) | 1275.6 |
| 1962 | CHN | NL | 159 | 618 | 94 | 184 | 22 | 8 | 22 | 91 | 9 | 70 | 72 | .298 | .257 (+16%) | .326 (+13%) | .393 (+18%) | .719 (+16%) | 2082.7 |
| 1963 | CHN | NL | 161 | 612 | 87 | 175 | 36 | 9 | 25 | 95 | 7 | 68 | 78 | .286 | .246 (+16%) | .308 (+16%) | .371 (+34%) | .680 (+25%) | 3010.8 |
| 1964 | CHN | NL | 162 | 645 | 100 | 201 | 39 | 2 | 33 | 98 | 10 | 59 | 84 | .312 | .250 (+24%) | .312 (+18%) | .377 (+41%) | .690 (+31%) | 3834.8 |
| 1965 | CHN | NL | 164 | 645 | 115 | 203 | 39 | 6 | 34 | 108 | 10 | 65 | 76 | .315 | .245 (+28%) | .310 (+21%) | .371 (+48%) | .682 (+36%) | 4474.8 |
| 1966 | CHN | NL | 162 | 648 | 100 | 179 | 23 | 5 | 29 | 91 | 6 | 69 | 61 | .276 | .248 (+11%) | .309 (+12%) | .376 (+23%) | .685 (+18%) | 2311.3 |
| 1967 | CHN | NL | 162 | 634 | 92 | 176 | 21 | 12 | 28 | 84 | 6 | 68 | 67 | .278 | .242 (+15%) | .306 (+13%) | .357 (+35%) | .663 (+25%) | 2894.6 |
| 1968 | CHN | NL | 163 | 642 | 91 | 185 | 30 | 8 | 30 | 98 | 4 | 48 | 53 | .288 | .236 (+22%) | .298 (+13%) | .340 (+47%) | .638 (+31%) | 3366.3 |
| 1969 | CHN | NL | 163 | 642 | 103 | 188 | 33 | 10 | 21 | 95 | 3 | 59 | 70 | .293 | .248 (+18%) | .320 (+11%) | .369 (+28%) | .689 (+20%) | 2419.2 |
| 1970 | CHN | NL | 161 | 636 | 137 | 205 | 34 | 4 | 42 | 129 | 7 | 72 | 65 | .322 | .253 (+27%) | .325 (+20%) | .385 (+52%) | .711 (+37%) | 4764.3 |
| 1971 | CHN | NL | 157 | 594 | 86 | 179 | 27 | 5 | 28 | 93 | 7 | 77 | 44 | .301 | .249 (+21%) | .316 (+21%) | .365 (+38%) | .682 (+30%) | 3588.7 |
| 1972 | CHN | NL | 150 | 574 | 95 | 191 | 34 | 6 | 37 | 122 | 3 | 62 | 59 | .333 | .243 (+36%) | .310 (+28%) | .353 (+71%) | .664 (+51%) | 5414.9 |
| 1973 | CHN | NL | 156 | 576 | 72 | 166 | 22 | 2 | 20 | 86 | 4 | 76 | 72 | .288 | .256 (+12%) | .325 (+13%) | .378 (+16%) | .703 (+15%) | 1816.0 |
| 1974 | CHN | NL | 117 | 404 | 55 | 113 | 22 | 0 | 16 | 68 | 4 | 67 | 44 | .280 | .256 (+9%) | .324 (+18%) | .369 (+23%) | .693 (+20%) | 1729.4 |
| 1975 | OAK | AL | 155 | 520 | 68 | 127 | 20 | 1 | 23 | 81 | 0 | 76 | 68 | .244 | .257 (-5%) | .327 (+4%) | .374 (+12%) | .701 (+8%) | 976.5 |
| 1976 | OAK | AL | 120 | 351 | 36 | 74 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 41 | 4 | 58 | 44 | .211 | .255 (-17%) | .320 (avg) | .360 (-6%) | .681 (-3%) | -61.0 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 2,488 | 9,350 | 1,410 | 2,711 | 434 | 88 | 426 | 1,475 | 90 | 1,045 | 1,046 | .290 | — | — | — | — | 44,022 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2488 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1248 | 4675 | 761 | 1413 | 245 | 792 | .302 |
| Away | 1240 | 4675 | 649 | 1298 | 181 | 682 | .278 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-10-02 | OAK | LAA | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-15 | OAK | MIN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-14 | OAK | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-12 | OAK | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-10 | OAK | TEX | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-09 | OAK | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-07 | OAK | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-09-06 | OAK | LAA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1976-09-03 | OAK | LAA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976-08-31 | OAK | NYY | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 96 | 93 | 805 | 76 | 12 | 72 |
| OF | 2088 | 2068 | 3562 | 143 | 101 | 24 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | CHN | OF | 10 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | CHN | OF | 12 | 12 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961 | CHN | OF | 135 | 133 | 220 | 9 | 11 | 3 |
| 1962 | CHN | OF | 159 | 159 | 273 | 18 | 10 | 4 |
| 1963 | CHN | OF | 160 | 160 | 298 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
| 1964 | CHN | OF | 162 | 161 | 233 | 14 | 13 | 0 |
| 1965 | CHN | OF | 164 | 164 | 296 | 10 | 10 | 2 |
| 1966 | CHN | OF | 162 | 162 | 319 | 9 | 8 | 3 |
| 1967 | CHN | OF | 162 | 162 | 271 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1968 | CHN | OF | 163 | 163 | 261 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| 1969 | CHN | OF | 159 | 159 | 250 | 15 | 12 | 2 |
| 1970 | CHN | OF | 160 | 159 | 259 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | CHN | OF | 154 | 152 | 284 | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| 1972 | CHN | 1B | 5 | 5 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 1972 | CHN | OF | 144 | 142 | 233 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 1973 | CHN | 1B | 19 | 19 | 167 | 20 | 2 | 14 |
| 1973 | CHN | OF | 138 | 132 | 253 | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| 1974 | CHN | 1B | 65 | 64 | 566 | 49 | 9 | 48 |
| 1974 | CHN | OF | 43 | 41 | 69 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1975 | OAK | 1B | 7 | 5 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 1976 | OAK | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 96 |
| Left Field | 1738 |
| Center Field | 31 |
| Right Field | 381 |
| Designated Hitter | 251 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Player of the Week | Week of 1974-06-14 |
| 1973 | Player of the Week | Week of 1973-09-07 |
| 1972 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1972 | TSN Major League Player of the Year | |
| 1972 | TSN Player of the Year | |
| 1970 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1968 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1964 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1961 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1961 | TSN Rookie of the Year | non-Pitcher |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 29th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1972 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 211.0 | 336 | 5 |
| 1971 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 10.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 218.0 | 336 | 2 |
| 1969 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 6.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1968 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 8th | 48.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1965 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 21.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1964 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 6.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1961 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 10.0 | 16 | 10 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Billy Williams (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Billy Williams
See Billy Williams in Another Era
Billy Williams: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 6, 1959 and the final game on October 2, 1976, Billy Williams built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago Cubs (1959 through 1974) and the Oakland Athletics (1975 through 1976). Williams is listed as an outfielder at 6'1" and 175 pounds. Williams hit left-handed while throwing right-handed, per the bio block. Williams was born on June 15, 1938, in Whistler, AL, USA. On the record, Billy Williams was born Billy Leo Williams.
In 2,488 games and 9,350 at bats, Williams batted .290 with 2,711 hits, adding 426 homers, 1,475 RBI, and 90 stolen bases. Williams's career OPS of .853 combines a .361 on-base mark with .492 slugging. Measured against the leagues Williams played in, the .290 career average compares with a .251 league average over the same seasons, 15.5% above the league. No season beat the 42 home runs Williams hit in 1970. Williams collected a career-high 205 hits in 1970.
Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Williams
- What years did Billy Williams play?
- Billy Williams played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1976.
- Was Billy Williams a pitcher?
- No. Billy Williams was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Billy Williams hit?
- Billy Williams hit 426 career home runs with 2711 hits.
- Is Billy Williams in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Billy Williams was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.
- What was Billy Williams's career batting average?
- Billy Williams batted .290 over his career, with 2,711 hits in 9,350 at bats.
- How many RBI did Billy Williams have?
- Billy Williams drove in 1,475 runs in his career.