Ted Williams Career Batting Average (.344)

Lore & Background

Williams was a 19-time All-Star, a two-time recipient of the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award, a six-time AL batting champion and a two-time Triple Crown winner. He finished his playing career with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and a 1.116 on-base plus slugging percentage, the second highest of all time. His career batting average is the highest of any MLB player whose career was played primarily after World War II, and it ranks 11th all-time.

In Their Own Story

The Fenway lights hummed against the crisp New England dusk as the final out of 1960 was recorded. Ted Williams stood at home plate, his silhouette framed by the roaring crowd that refused to let him leave. He offered no triumphant roar, only a solemn tip of his cap toward the stands where the noise swelled into a deafening chant. It sat there with the weight of history—a silent testament not just to power, but to the obsessive study of every pitch thrown against him, proving that even in an imperfect world, perfection was attainable if you refused to swing at anything less.

Reader's Guide

Born and raised in San Diego, Williams played baseball throughout his youth. After joining the Red Sox in 1939, he immediately emerged as one of the sport's best hitters. In 1941, Williams posted a .406 batting average; he is the last National League or AL baseball player to bat over .400 in a season. Williams's career .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all-time. Williams followed this up by winning his first Triple Crown in 1942. Williams was required to interrupt his baseball career in 1943 to serve three years in the United States Navy and Marine Corps during World War II. Upon returning to MLB in 1946, Williams won his first AL MVP Award and played in his only World Series. In 1947, he won his second Triple Crown. Williams was returned to active military duty for portions of the 1952 and 1953 seasons to serve as a Marine combat aviator in the Korean War. In 1957 and 1958, he was the AL batting champion for the fifth and sixth time. In the process, he became the oldest player to win a batting crown at 39 and 40 years old, respectively. Williams retired from playing in 1960. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, in his first year of eligibility. Williams managed the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers franchise from 1969 to 1972.

Did You Know?

• Williams's career .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all-time.
• He is the last MLB player to bat over .400 in a season, achieving .406 in 1941.
• Williams served in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War.
• He was a two-time Triple Crown winner (1942 and 1947).
• Williams was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 by President George H. W. Bush.