Dave Bancroft vs Willie Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Bancroft and Willie Wells are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Dave Bancroft played 1915–1930 as a hitter; Willie Wells played ?–1948 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
Dave Bancroft (1915–1930) and Willie Wells (?–1948) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Dave Bancroft finished with 2,004 hits and 32 home runs; Willie Wells finished with 1,319 hits and 145 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Wells, with 145 to Dave Bancroft's 32.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Wells, with .943 to Dave Bancroft's .714.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Wells, with .327 to Dave Bancroft's .279.
- Who had more hits? Dave Bancroft, with 2,004 to Willie Wells's 1,319.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Wells, with 875 to Dave Bancroft's 591.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Wells, with 21,549 career PIV to Dave Bancroft's 4,247.
- Who won more championships? Dave Bancroft, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Wells's 0.
Dave Bancroft
Willie Wells
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Dave Bancroft and Willie Wells. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dave Bancroft | Willie Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,913 | 1,068 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,182 | 4,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,048 | 956 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,004 | 1,319 |
| Doubles | Leads: 320 | 267 |
| Triples | Leads: 77 | 70 |
| Home Runs | 32 | Leads: 145 |
| RBI | 591 | Leads: 875 |
| Walks | Leads: 827 | 497 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 487 | 10 |
| Stolen Bases | 145 | Leads: 176 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .327 |
| On-Base % | .355 | Leads: .407 |
| Slugging % | .358 | Leads: .536 |
| OPS | .714 | Leads: .943 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Wells outpaces Dave Bancroft 21,549 to 4,247 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 798 PIV per season to 250, across 27 seasons to 17. 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).
Dave Bancroft — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willie Wells — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Wells leads in home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average, while Dave Bancroft owns hits and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Wells. PIV agrees: Willie Wells grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dave Bancroft and Willie Wells careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Dave Bancroft's ended in 1930, and Willie Wells debuted in 1948. Dave Bancroft has the far longer record, 1,913 games against 1,068 across 17 and 27 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Dave Bancroft walked more often than struck out (827 walks, 487 strikeouts); Willie Wells walked more often than struck out (497 walks, 10 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Willie Wells's hits: 32 of 2,004 for Dave Bancroft, 145 of 1,319 for Willie Wells. Willie Wells was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Willie Wells holds the edge, .536 to .358.
Dave Bancroft vs Willie Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Dave Bancroft or Willie Wells hit more home runs?
- Willie Wells, with 145 to Dave Bancroft's 32.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Wells, with .943 to Dave Bancroft's .714.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Wells, with .327 to Dave Bancroft's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Dave Bancroft, with 2,004 to Willie Wells's 1,319.