Ed Bailey vs Will Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Bailey has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Will Smith has played 2019–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 Will Smith (2019–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; Will Smith has 722 hits and 138 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? Ed Bailey, with 155 to Will Smith's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS? Will Smith, with .829 to Ed Bailey's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Will Smith, with .263 to Ed Bailey's .256.
- Who had more hits? Ed Bailey, with 915 to Will Smith's 722.
- Who drove in more runs? Ed Bailey, with 540 to Will Smith's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ed Bailey, with 8,288 career PIV to Will Smith's 7,878.
- Who won more championships? Will Smith, with 3 World Series titles to Ed Bailey's 0.
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ed Bailey and Will Smith. 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.
Will Smith is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Ed Bailey | Will Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,212 | 795 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 3,581 | 2,743 |
| Runs | 432 | Leads: 448 |
| Hits | Leads: 915 | 722 |
| Doubles | 128 | Leads: 137 |
| Triples | Leads: 15 | 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 155 | 138 |
| RBI | Leads: 540 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 545 | 364 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 577 | 599 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 17 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .263 |
| On-Base % | .355 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | .784 | Leads: .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Bailey edges Will Smith 8,288 to 7,878 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Ed Bailey played 16 seasons to Will Smith's 7, while Will Smith carries the higher per-season figure (1,125 to 518). 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
Will Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ed Bailey leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, while Will Smith owns runs, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Bailey. PIV agrees: Ed Bailey 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 Will Smith careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ed Bailey's ended in 1966, and Will Smith debuted in 2019. The table compares 1,212 games of Ed Bailey with 795 of Will Smith across 16 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Ed Bailey struck out more than walked (577 to 545), and Will Smith struck out more than walked (599 to 364). On the peak-season lists, Ed Bailey's best year is 1956 at .936 OPS and Will Smith's is 2025 at .901 OPS; Ed Bailey has the stronger single season. Because Will Smith is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Ed Bailey vs Will Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ed Bailey or Will Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Bailey leads Will Smith in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ed Bailey or Will Smith hit more home runs?
- Ed Bailey, with 155 to Will Smith's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Will Smith, with .829 to Ed Bailey's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Will Smith, with .263 to Ed Bailey's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Ed Bailey, with 915 to Will Smith's 722.