Johnny Bench vs Will Smith: 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; Will Smith has played 2019–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 Will Smith (2019–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; Will Smith has 722 hits and 138 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 Will Smith's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS? Will Smith, with .829 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Johnny Bench, with .267 to Will Smith's .263.
- Who had more hits? Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to Will Smith's 722.
- Who drove in more runs? Johnny Bench, with 1,376 to Will Smith's 476.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Johnny Bench, with 25,321 career PIV to Will Smith's 7,878.
- Who won more championships? Will Smith, with 3 World Series titles to Johnny Bench's 2.
Johnny Bench
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench and Will Smith. 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.
Will Smith is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | Will Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,158 | 795 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,658 | 2,743 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,091 | 448 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,048 | 722 |
| Doubles | Leads: 381 | 137 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 389 | 138 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,376 | 476 |
| Walks | Leads: 891 | 364 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 599 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .267 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .358 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .471 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johnny Bench outpaces Will Smith 25,321 to 7,878 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,489 PIV per season to 1,125, across 17 seasons to 7. 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
Will Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johnny Bench leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Will Smith 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 Will Smith careers compare
Johnny Bench (1967–1983) was finished before Will Smith (2019–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 2,158 games of Johnny Bench with 795 of Will Smith across 17 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Will Smith are on-base percentage (.358 to .342) and OPS (.829 to .817). Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891); Will Smith struck out more than walked (599 to 364). On the peak-season lists, Johnny Bench's best year is 1970 at .932 OPS and Will Smith's is 2025 at .901 OPS; Johnny Bench has the stronger single season. Will Smith's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Johnny Bench vs Will Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Will Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johnny Bench leads Will Smith in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Will Smith hit more home runs?
- Johnny Bench, with 389 to Will Smith's 138.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Will Smith, with .829 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Johnny Bench, with .267 to Will Smith's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Johnny Bench, with 2,048 to Will Smith's 722.