Johnny Bench vs Willson 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; 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
Johnny Bench (1967–1983) and Willson Contreras (2016–present) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Bench finished with 2,048 hits and 389 home runs; Willson Contreras has 1,077 hits and 199 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 Willson Contreras's 199.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willson Contreras, with .821 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Bench, with .267 to Willson Contreras's .260.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to Willson Contreras's 1,077.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Bench, with 1,376 to Willson Contreras's 629.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Bench, with 25,321 career PIV to Willson Contreras's 8,983.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Bench, with 2 World Series titles to Willson Contreras's 1.
Johnny Bench
Willson Contreras
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench 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 1960s 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 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | Willson Contreras |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,158 | 1,208 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,658 | 4,148 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,091 | 594 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,048 | 1,077 |
| Doubles | Leads: 381 | 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 14 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 389 | 199 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,376 | 629 |
| Walks | Leads: 891 | 478 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,170 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .267 | .260 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .356 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .466 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Bench outpaces Willson Contreras 25,321 to 8,983 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,489 PIV per season to 898, across 17 seasons to 10. 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
Willson Contreras — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Bench leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Willson Contreras owns OBP and OPS. 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 Willson Contreras careers compare
No season is shared: Johnny Bench played 1967–1983, Willson Contreras 2016–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Johnny Bench appeared in 2,158 games to Willson Contreras's 1,208. Where Willson Contreras comes out ahead, it is in on-base percentage (.356 to .342) and OPS (.821 to .817). At the plate, Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891), and Willson Contreras struck out more than walked (1,170 to 478). In on-base percentage, Willson Contreras holds the edge, .356 to .342. Willson Contreras's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Johnny Bench vs Willson Contreras: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Willson Contreras?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Bench leads Willson Contreras in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Willson Contreras hit more home runs?
- Johnny Bench, with 389 to Willson Contreras's 199.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willson Contreras, with .821 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Bench, with .267 to Willson Contreras's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to Willson Contreras's 1,077.