Johnny Bench vs William Contreras: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Bench has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Johnny Bench played 1967–1983 as a hitter; William Contreras has played 2020–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
Johnny Bench (1967–1983) and William Contreras (2020–present) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2020s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Bench finished with 2,048 hits and 389 home runs; William Contreras has 755 hits and 103 home runs through October 6, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Johnny Bench, with 389 to William Contreras's 103.
- Who had the higher OPS? Johnny Bench, with .817 to William Contreras's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average? William Contreras, with .272 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to William Contreras's 755.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Bench, with 1,376 to William Contreras's 409.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Bench, with 25,321 career PIV to William Contreras's 5,736.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Bench, with 2 World Series titles to William Contreras's 1.
Johnny Bench
William Contreras
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench and William 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 1960s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
William Contreras is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | William Contreras |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,158 | 746 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,658 | 2,774 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,091 | 426 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,048 | 755 |
| Doubles | Leads: 381 | 149 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 6 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 389 | 103 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,376 | 409 |
| Walks | Leads: 891 | 344 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 641 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .272 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .354 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .442 |
| OPS | Leads: .817 | .795 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Bench outpaces William Contreras 25,321 to 5,736 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,489 PIV per season to 956, across 17 seasons to 6. 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).
Johnny Bench — top 3 seasons by OPS
William Contreras — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Bench leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while William Contreras owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johnny Bench. PIV agrees: Johnny Bench grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johnny Bench and William Contreras careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Johnny Bench's ended in 1983, and William Contreras debuted in 2020. The table compares 2,158 games of Johnny Bench with 746 of William Contreras across 17 and 6 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where William Contreras comes out ahead, it is in batting average (.272 to .267) and on-base percentage (.354 to .342). At the plate, Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891), and William Contreras struck out more than walked (641 to 344). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Bench's hits: 389 of 2,048 for Johnny Bench, 103 of 755 for William Contreras. William Contreras's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Johnny Bench vs William Contreras: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or William Contreras?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Bench leads William Contreras in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or William Contreras hit more home runs?
- Johnny Bench, with 389 to William Contreras's 103.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Johnny Bench, with .817 to William Contreras's .795.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- William Contreras, with .272 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to William Contreras's 755.