Ed Bailey vs Willson Contreras: Career Stats Comparison
Willson Contreras has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ed Bailey played 1953–1966 as a hitter; Willson Contreras has played 2016–present as a hitter.
- 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
Ed Bailey (1953–1966) and Willson Contreras (2016–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Ed Bailey finished with 915 hits and 155 home runs; Willson Contreras has 1,077 hits and 199 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willson Contreras, with 199 to Ed Bailey's 155.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willson Contreras, with .821 to Ed Bailey's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willson Contreras, with .260 to Ed Bailey's .256.
- Who had more hits? Willson Contreras, with 1,077 to Ed Bailey's 915.
- Who drove in more runs? Willson Contreras, with 629 to Ed Bailey's 540.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willson Contreras, with 8,983 career PIV to Ed Bailey's 8,288.
- Who won more championships? Willson Contreras, with 1 World Series title to Ed Bailey's 0.
Willson Contreras
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ed Bailey and Willson Contreras. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1950s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Willson Contreras is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Ed Bailey | Willson Contreras |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,212 | 1,208 |
| At-Bats | 3,581 | Leads: 4,148 |
| Runs | 432 | Leads: 594 |
| Hits | 915 | Leads: 1,077 |
| Doubles | 128 | Leads: 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 15 | 14 |
| Home Runs | 155 | Leads: 199 |
| RBI | 540 | Leads: 629 |
| Walks | Leads: 545 | 478 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 577 | 1,170 |
| Stolen Bases | 17 | Leads: 40 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .260 |
| On-Base % | .355 | Leads: .356 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .466 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willson Contreras edges Ed Bailey 8,983 to 8,288 — driven by per-season impact — 898 PIV per season to 518 — rather than by longevity, since Willson Contreras played 10 seasons to Ed Bailey's 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Ed Bailey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willson Contreras — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willson Contreras leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ed Bailey owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willson Contreras. PIV agrees: Willson Contreras grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ed Bailey and Willson Contreras careers compare
Ed Bailey (1953–1966) was finished before Willson Contreras (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 1,212 games against 1,208 across 16 and 10 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ed Bailey's edges on the table are games (1,212 to 1,208), triples (15 to 14), and walks (545 to 478). At the plate, Ed Bailey struck out more than walked (577 to 545), and Willson Contreras struck out more than walked (1,170 to 478). In on-base percentage, Willson Contreras holds the edge, .356 to .355. Ed Bailey owns the better peak by OPS: .936 OPS in 1956 for Ed Bailey against .901 OPS in 2026 (in progress) for Willson Contreras. Willson Contreras's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Ed Bailey vs Willson Contreras: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ed Bailey or Willson Contreras?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willson Contreras leads Ed Bailey in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ed Bailey or Willson Contreras hit more home runs?
- Willson Contreras, with 199 to Ed Bailey's 155.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willson Contreras, with .821 to Ed Bailey's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willson Contreras, with .260 to Ed Bailey's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Willson Contreras, with 1,077 to Ed Bailey's 915.