Ted Williams had a notable baseball career. In different years, he had impressive batting averages: .327 in 1939, .388 in 1957, and .316 in 1960. Over his 19-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), his average stood at .344.
Williams, a left-handed hitter, started playing for the Boston Red Sox on April 20, 1939. He remained with this team for his entire career, retiring on September 28, 1960.
He’s often named among the top players of the Red Sox. A unique achievement for Williams is that he was the last to have a batting average over .400 in one season. He also set a record with an on-base percentage of .482.
Throughout his career, he received various awards. He was named the American League Most Valuable Player twice, selected for the All-Star game 19 times, and twice earned the Triple Crown title.
When looking at his career stats, Williams had an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.16, which is the second-best in history.
He also hit 521 home runs. His .344 batting average stands out, especially when considering he played during the live-ball era. This record ties him with Billy Hamilton from an earlier baseball period.
Williams’ excellence in baseball was recognized when he was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1966. He was also chosen for special teams like the MLB All-Time Team in 1997 and the MLB All-Century Team in 1999.
Ted Williams Career Batting Average
Ted Williams had a career batting average of .344. He played 2,292 games over 19 seasons with the Boston Red Sox.
In 1953, Williams recorded one of baseball’s most impressive seasons, boasting a batting average of .407. However, in 1959, his performance dipped, resulting in a batting average of .254.
The record for the best batting average belongs to Ty Cobb, who achieved a .366 average during his time playing from 1905 to 1928 with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies. Ted Williams’ batting average was .022 points lower than Ty Cobb’s.
Ted Williams had an impressive batting record from 1939 to 1960. Below is a summary of his averages for each year:
- 1939- .327
- 1940- .344
- 1941- .406
- 1942- .356
- 1943- did not play MLB/ Military Service
- 1944- did not play MLB/ Military Service
- 1945- did not play MLB/ Military Service
- 1946- .342
- 1947- .343
- 1948- .369
- 1949- .343
- 1950- .317
- 1951- .318
- 1952- .400
- 1953- .407
- 1954- .345
- 1955- .356
- 1956- .345
- 1957- .388
- 1958- .328
- 1959- .254
- 1960- .316
In 1960, Ted Williams shared that he was stepping away from baseball. During his last game on September 28 of that year, he made a remarkable home run.
By the time he concluded his playing days, he achieved a batting average of .344, struck 521 home runs, took 2,021 walks, and earned 1,839 RBIs.
After hanging up his cleats, Williams took up a managerial role, overseeing the Washington Senators and then the Texas Rangers from 1969 to 1972.
1953- Batting Average of .407
In 1953, Ted Williams participated in 37 matches representing the Boston Red Sox. During that particular season, he achieved his top batting average, which was .407.
In the 19 home games Ted Williams participated in, here’s a summary of his performance:
- He stepped up to bat 47 times.
- He successfully batted in 18 runs.
- He himself scored 10 runs.
- Out of his hits, 8 were home runs.
- His batting average stood at .361.
- His on-base percentage was .473.
- His slugging average was impressively high at .957.
In the games he played at home this season, he walked to the base 10 times and only got out by striking four times. This season, his batting rate at home was .361. This shows that he performed exceptionally well during away matches.
During the 1953 season, Ted Williams had the following statistics in 18 away games:
- He took 44 swings.
- He secured 16 runs for the team.
- He himself scored 7 times.
- He hit the ball out of the park 5 times.
- His batting average stood at .454.
In the season, Williams boasted an impressive on-base percentage of .547 and a slugging average of .840.
Out of his nine walks, one was intentional, and he was outed only six times. Throughout the away games of the season, he wasn’t given any sacrifice hits or flies, and no pitches hit him.
For that season, 1957, Williams made an impact by hitting 38 home runs in just 37 games and recorded a commendable batting average of .407.
1941- Batting Average of .406
Ted Williams was a remarkable baseball player. At the age of 23, during the 1941 season, he played in 143 games.
His batting average that year was an impressive .406. This wasn’t his only achievement that year. He was the top player in the league, scoring 135 runs and hitting 37 home runs.
His slugging percentage stood at .735 and he had an on-base percentage of .553. This on-base percentage remained a Major League record until 2002.
The 1941 season is considered Ted Williams’ best year, solidifying his reputation as one of baseball’s greatest hitters. Notably, he became the youngest player in Major League Baseball history to bat over .400 in a single season.
1952- Batting Average of .400
In 1952, Ted Williams played just 6 games during the regular baseball season and achieved a batting average of .400.
That same year, Ted was called to serve in the Korean War. After playing a few games for Major League Baseball, he undertook training for flight refresher courses.
Soon after, he was dispatched to Korea. The Red Sox honored him with a special “Ted Williams Day” at Fenway Park before he left. For over a year, he flew combat missions in a Marine fighter plane, which made him miss most of the baseball seasons in 1952 and 1953.
During the four home games he played, Williams achieved impressive statistics. His batting average was .500, with an on-base percentage of .571 and a high slugging average.
In those games, he batted six times, secured three runs batted in, scored once, and hit a home run. Additionally, he took one outfield catch and earned a walk. Notably, he neither made any sacrifice hits nor was he hit by a pitch.
In contrast, when playing the two away games, his batting average was .250. He also maintained a .400 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging average. While playing away, he batted four times, hit a triple, and scored once.
Summarizing the season, Williams had an on-base percentage of .500 and a slugging average of .900. He was only struck out twice and managed to hit a single home run, specifically against the Detroit Tigers.
1957- Batting Average of .388
In the 1957 season, Ted Williams achieved his fourth-best batting average of .388. During that year, he participated in 132 games for Major League Baseball.
During the 1957 season, Ted had some notable achievements in the home matches he played. Here are the key statistics from the 63 games he played at home:
- He took part in 206 at-bats.
- He successfully scored 42 runs.
- He made 10 home runs.
- His batting average was an impressive .402.
- He had an on-base percentage of .524.
- His slugging percentage stood at .626.
He faced 20 strikeouts but took 52 walks, with 12 of those being intentional. Additionally, he recorded one sacrifice fly and was hit by two pitches.
Williams participated in 69 away games during the season. During these games, he accumulated the following statistics:
- 214 at-bats
- Hit 26 home runs
- Managed to score 54 runs
- Recorded a batting average of .373
- Achieved an on-base percentage of .527
- Secured a slugging percentage of .789
Additionally, while Ted’s home batting performance was exceptional this season, his results from away games brought his season’s batting average slightly below .400.
1948- Batting average of .369
In 1948, Ted Williams showcased impressive baseball skills. During that season, his batting average stood at .369, with him successfully hitting 25 home runs over 137 games.
Breaking it down further, during his home games in 1948, Ted played 66 matches. With 239 at-bats, he managed to hit 9 home runs.
He also scored 57 runs while contributing to 66 more. His batting average at home was almost the same as his overall for the year, at .368.
Additionally, his on-base percentage during these games was .509, and his slugging percentage was .585. He displayed patience and discipline, walking 66 times. However, he was hit by the ball thrice and struck out 19 times.
On the other hand, while playing away games, Ted had 270 at-bats across 71 matches. Here, he hit 16 home runs and held a batting average of .370.
His on-base percentage was slightly lower, at .484, but his slugging percentage was higher, at .640. He struck out 22 times in these games but also walked 60 times.
Summing up his performances, throughout the entire 1948 season, Ted was struck out 41 times.