Ken Williams
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1915-1929)
Ken Williams was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929 for the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Browns, and the Boston Red Sox, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,397 career games, he hit .319 with 1,552 hits, 196 home runs, and 913 RBI. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 26,593.
- 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
- 6'0" / 170 lb
- Died
- 1/22/1959 in Grants Pass, OR, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1915-07-14
- Last Game
- 1929-08-10
Full name: Kenneth Roy Williams
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,397 | 4,862 | 860 | 1,552 | 285 | 77 | 196 | 913 | 154 | 566 | 287 | .319 | .393 | .530 | .924 | 26,593 |
Career AVG .319 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — +15.7% above league average.
Career OBP .393 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +16.2% above league average.
Career SLG .530 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — +40.0% above league average.
Career OPS .924 vs. league average .717 across their career seasons — +28.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | CIN | NL | 71 | 219 | 22 | 53 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 15 | 20 | .242 | .250 (-3%) | .318 (-7%) | .332 (-2%) | .651 (-5%) | -187.0 |
| 1916 | CIN | NL | 10 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1918 | SLA | AL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1919 | SLA | AL | 65 | 227 | 32 | 68 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 7 | 26 | 25 | .300 | .262 (+14%) | .322 (+17%) | .347 (+34%) | .670 (+26%) | 1005.6 |
| 1920 | SLA | AL | 141 | 521 | 90 | 160 | 34 | 13 | 10 | 72 | 18 | 41 | 26 | .307 | .271 (+13%) | .331 (+9%) | .363 (+32%) | .694 (+21%) | 1997.3 |
| 1921 | SLA | AL | 146 | 547 | 115 | 190 | 31 | 7 | 24 | 117 | 20 | 74 | 42 | .347 | .286 (+21%) | .344 (+24%) | .395 (+42%) | .739 (+34%) | 4050.9 |
| 1922 | SLA | AL | 153 | 585 | 128 | 194 | 34 | 11 | 39 | 155 | 37 | 74 | 31 | .332 | .285 (+16%) | .345 (+19%) | .397 (+58%) | .743 (+40%) | 4937.2 |
| 1923 | SLA | AL | 147 | 555 | 106 | 198 | 37 | 12 | 29 | 91 | 18 | 79 | 32 | .357 | .282 (+26%) | .344 (+27%) | .390 (+60%) | .734 (+45%) | 5206.9 |
| 1924 | SLA | AL | 114 | 398 | 78 | 129 | 21 | 4 | 18 | 84 | 20 | 69 | 17 | .324 | .283 (+14%) | .345 (+23%) | .389 (+37%) | .734 (+30%) | 2594.1 |
| 1925 | SLA | AL | 102 | 411 | 83 | 136 | 31 | 5 | 25 | 105 | 10 | 37 | 14 | .331 | .288 (+15%) | .349 (+12%) | .407 (+51%) | .756 (+33%) | 2540.6 |
| 1926 | SLA | AL | 108 | 347 | 55 | 97 | 15 | 7 | 17 | 74 | 5 | 39 | 23 | .280 | .279 (avg) | .345 (+2%) | .390 (+31%) | .735 (+17%) | 1102.2 |
| 1927 | SLA | AL | 131 | 423 | 70 | 136 | 23 | 6 | 17 | 74 | 9 | 57 | 30 | .322 | .282 (+14%) | .344 (+17%) | .392 (+34%) | .736 (+26%) | 2303.4 |
| 1928 | BOS | AL | 133 | 462 | 59 | 140 | 25 | 1 | 8 | 67 | 4 | 37 | 15 | .303 | .280 (+8%) | .342 (+4%) | .395 (+5%) | .737 (+4%) | 427.1 |
| 1929 | BOS | AL | 74 | 139 | 21 | 48 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 1 | 15 | 7 | .345 | .289 (+19%) | .353 (+16%) | .415 (+30%) | .769 (+23%) | 614.7 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,397 | 4,862 | 860 | 1,552 | 285 | 77 | 196 | 913 | 154 | 566 | 287 | .319 | — | — | — | — | 26,593 | ||
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 (1398 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 719 | 2470 | 499 | 834 | 142 | 568 | .338 |
| Away | 679 | 2395 | 365 | 721 | 54 | 374 | .301 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929-08-10 | BOS | CHW | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1929-08-08 | BOS | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929-08-07 | BOS | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-08-04 | BOS | CHW | W | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-08-03 | BOS | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-08-02 | BOS | CHW | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1929-08-01 | BOS | CLE | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-07-31 | BOS | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-07-31 | BOS | CLE | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929-07-30 | BOS | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 1298 | 0 | 2948 | 167 | 137 | 40 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | CIN | OF | 62 | 0 | 117 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| 1916 | CIN | OF | 10 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1919 | SLA | OF | 63 | 0 | 168 | 10 | 12 | 3 |
| 1920 | SLA | OF | 138 | 0 | 331 | 17 | 14 | 6 |
| 1921 | SLA | OF | 145 | 0 | 331 | 24 | 26 | 3 |
| 1922 | SLA | OF | 153 | 0 | 372 | 16 | 12 | 4 |
| 1923 | SLA | OF | 145 | 0 | 333 | 23 | 12 | 5 |
| 1924 | SLA | OF | 109 | 0 | 257 | 13 | 9 | 2 |
| 1925 | SLA | OF | 102 | 0 | 242 | 11 | 12 | 4 |
| 1926 | SLA | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | SLA | OF | 92 | 0 | 189 | 12 | 11 | 2 |
| 1927 | SLA | OF | 113 | 0 | 260 | 15 | 10 | 4 |
| 1928 | BOS | OF | 127 | 0 | 254 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| 1929 | BOS | 1B | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1929 | BOS | OF | 39 | 0 | 75 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 1133 |
| Center Field | 168 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 1.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1923 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 4.0 | 64 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ken Williams (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Ken Williams
Ken Williams: the record in brief
Between the debut on July 14, 1915 and the final game on August 10, 1929, Ken Williams built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Cincinnati Reds (1915 through 1916), the St. Louis Browns (1918 to 1927), and the Boston Red Sox (1928 to 1929). Williams played primarily as an outfielder and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on June 28, 1890, in Grants Pass, OR, USA and a listed size of 170 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. The bio records the death on January 22, 1959, in Grants Pass, OR, USA. The given name on file is Kenneth Roy Williams.
Williams collected 1,552 hits in 4,862 at bats across 1,397 games, good for a .319 batting average, plus 196 home runs, 913 runs batted in, and 154 stolen bases. Williams's career OPS of .924 combines a .393 on-base mark with .530 slugging. Set against a .276 league average for the same years, Williams's .319 average sits 15.7% above it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ken Williams
- What years did Ken Williams play?
- Ken Williams played in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929.
- Was Ken Williams a pitcher?
- No. Ken Williams was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Ken Williams hit?
- Ken Williams hit 196 career home runs with 1,552 hits.
- What teams did Ken Williams play for?
- Ken Williams played for 3 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1915–1916), the St. Louis Browns (1918–1927), and the Boston Red Sox (1928–1929).
- What were Ken Williams's career stats?
- In 1,397 games, Ken Williams had 1,552 hits, 196 home runs, 913 RBI, 860 runs, and 154 stolen bases, with a .319 batting average.
- What position did Ken Williams play?
- Ken Williams played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ken Williams and how much did he weigh?
- Ken Williams was listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ken Williams hit each season?
- Ken Williams's home runs by season: 0 in 1915, 0 in 1916, 0 in 1918, 6 in 1919, 10 in 1920, 24 in 1921, 39 in 1922, 29 in 1923, 18 in 1924, 25 in 1925, 17 in 1926, 17 in 1927, 8 in 1928, and 3 in 1929. His most in one season was 39, in 1922.
- What was Ken Williams's career batting average?
- Ken Williams batted .319 over his career, with 1,552 hits in 4,862 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ken Williams have?
- Ken Williams drove in 913 runs in his career.
- Is Ken Williams in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ken Williams has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.