Johnny Bench vs Hank Greenberg: Career Stats Comparison
Johnny Bench has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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 Hank Greenberg (1930–1947) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Bench finished with 2,048 hits and 389 home runs; Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 home runs. 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 Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Bench, with 1,376 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Greenberg, with 43,523 career PIV to Johnny Bench's 25,321.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Johnny Bench
Hank Greenberg
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench and Hank Greenberg. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | Hank Greenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,158 | 1,394 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,658 | 5,193 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,091 | 1,051 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,048 | 1,628 |
| Doubles | Leads: 381 | 379 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 389 | 331 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,376 | 1,276 |
| Walks | Leads: 891 | 852 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 844 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .313 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .412 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .605 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: 1.017 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Greenberg outpaces Johnny Bench 43,523 to 25,321 — driven by per-season impact — 3,348 PIV per season to 1,489 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Greenberg played 13 seasons to Johnny Bench's 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).
Johnny Bench — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hank Greenberg — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Bench leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hank Greenberg owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johnny Bench. Note that PIV actually grades Hank Greenberg ahead, which means Johnny Bench's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johnny Bench and Hank Greenberg careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hank Greenberg's ended in 1947, and Johnny Bench debuted in 1967. Johnny Bench has the far longer record, 2,158 games against 1,394 across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891), while Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts). Hank Greenberg's slugging percentage of .605 tops Johnny Bench's .476. Best seasons: 1970 for Johnny Bench (.932 OPS, 45 HR, 148 RBI, .293 avg) and 1938 for Hank Greenberg (1.122 OPS, 58 HR, 146 RBI, .315 avg).
Johnny Bench vs Hank Greenberg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Hank Greenberg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Bench leads Hank Greenberg in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Hank Greenberg hit more home runs?
- Johnny Bench, with 389 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.