Johnny Bench vs Rogers Hornsby: Career Stats Comparison
Rogers Hornsby has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937 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 Rogers Hornsby (1915–1937) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Johnny Bench finished with 2,048 hits and 389 home runs; Rogers Hornsby finished with 2,930 hits and 301 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 Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits? Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.
- Who drove in more runs? Rogers Hornsby, with 1,584 to Johnny Bench's 1,376.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rogers Hornsby, with 68,443 career PIV to Johnny Bench's 25,321.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Bench, with 2 World Series titles to Rogers Hornsby's 1.
Johnny Bench
Rogers Hornsby
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench and Rogers Hornsby. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | Rogers Hornsby |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,158 | Leads: 2,259 |
| At-Bats | 7,658 | Leads: 8,173 |
| Runs | 1,091 | Leads: 1,579 |
| Hits | 2,048 | Leads: 2,930 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 541 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 169 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 389 | 301 |
| RBI | 1,376 | Leads: 1,584 |
| Walks | 891 | Leads: 1,038 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 679 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 135 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .358 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .434 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .577 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: 1.010 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rogers Hornsby outpaces Johnny Bench 68,443 to 25,321 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,852 PIV per season to 1,489, across 24 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).
Johnny Bench — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rogers Hornsby — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rogers Hornsby leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Johnny Bench owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rogers Hornsby. PIV agrees: Rogers Hornsby 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 Rogers Hornsby careers compare
No season is shared: Rogers Hornsby played 1915–1937, Johnny Bench 1967–1983. With 2,158 games against 2,259 across 17 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Johnny Bench's edges on the table are home runs (389 to 301). At the plate, Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891), while Rogers Hornsby walked more often than struck out (1,038 walks, 679 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Johnny Bench's hits: 389 of 2,048 for Johnny Bench, 301 of 2,930 for Rogers Hornsby.
Johnny Bench vs Rogers Hornsby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Rogers Hornsby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rogers Hornsby leads Johnny Bench in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Rogers Hornsby hit more home runs?
- Johnny Bench, with 389 to Rogers Hornsby's 301.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 1.010 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rogers Hornsby, with .358 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Rogers Hornsby, with 2,930 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.