Williams was a seventeen-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 .482 on-base percentage, the highest of all time. His batting average is the highest of any MLB player with 302 or more home runs.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, He was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Time Team in 1997 and the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.