Major League Baseball

The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived

Updated Aug. 30, 2020 2:33 p.m. ET

Hyperbole can often enter the picture when it comes to nicknames in sports, but Ted Williams ⁠— known as "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived" ⁠— could very well be an exception.

Nick Swisher broke down Williams' storied career on Aug. 30, in honor of what would have been the Boston Red Sox legend's 102nd birthday, on an episode of You Kids Don't Know.

You Kids Don’t Know: What made Ted Williams ‘The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived’

On what would have been Ted Williams’ 102nd birthday, FOX Sports’ Nick Swisher breaks down what made Teddy Ballgame ‘The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived’, a nickname people still use to describe him to this day. Had he not missed nearly five seasons serving in the military, he may very well have broken Babe Ruth’s all-time home run mark.

The mythos of Williams frequently begins with one number: .400. As the last player to crack that batting average, Williams hit .406 for the 1941 season. And he did so in legendary fashion, as Swisher points out.

"All he had to do is sit out the final day of the season and have his batting average rounded up to that magical .400 mark. But did he? Oh, hell no! He played in both games of the doubleheader, went 6-for-8, pushing his final season batting average all the way up to .406. Because that's what legends do."

In addition to cracking that average, Williams boasts a career .482 on-base percentage, better than Babe Ruth's .474 for best in Major League history. To put that in perspective, Swisher spins that lofty mark to one of the most dangerous hitters in recent history.

"Check it: Barry Bonds would have to return to baseball and then reach base safely 910 times in a row to pass Williams for baseball's best ever career on-base percentage."

Williams is the only player in the American League to win the Triple Crown more than once, and his 12 career top 10 MVP finishes are the most in AL history.

He also slugged 521 career home runs, including one in his final at-bat.

His legacy extends beyond the diamond, though, serving in both World War II and the Korean War and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991.

As Swisher points out, Williams' numbers would undoubtedly be bolstered had he not served during the prime of his career.

"Williams didn't play a single game between the ages of 24 and 26. To put it in perspective, Mike Trout hit 101 home runs, drove in 251 and scored 316 runs during those years of his own career."

With six batting titles, four home run crowns, two MVPs and a bundle of other awards in an interrupted career, we'll never know exactly how good Williams could have been.

But thanks to Swisher, we're reminded that Williams is an all-time great, regardless.