Johnny Bench vs Willie Stargell: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Stargell 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; Willie Stargell played 1962–1982 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 Willie Stargell (1962–1982) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Johnny Bench finished with 2,048 hits and 389 home runs; Willie Stargell finished with 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willie Stargell, with 475 to Johnny Bench's 389.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Stargell, with .889 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Stargell, with .282 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits? Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.
- Who drove in more runs? Willie Stargell, with 1,540 to Johnny Bench's 1,376.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Stargell, with 42,804 career PIV to Johnny Bench's 25,321.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Johnny Bench
Willie Stargell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench and Willie Stargell. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johnny Bench | Willie Stargell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,158 | Leads: 2,360 |
| At-Bats | 7,658 | Leads: 7,927 |
| Runs | 1,091 | Leads: 1,194 |
| Hits | 2,048 | Leads: 2,232 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 423 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 55 |
| Home Runs | 389 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,376 | Leads: 1,540 |
| Walks | 891 | Leads: 937 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 1,936 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 17 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .282 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .360 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .529 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: .889 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Stargell outpaces Johnny Bench 42,804 to 25,321 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,038 PIV per season to 1,489, across 21 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
Willie Stargell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Stargell leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Johnny Bench owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Stargell. PIV agrees: Willie Stargell 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 Willie Stargell careers compare
Johnny Bench and Willie Stargell were active at the same time between 1967 and 1982. With 2,158 games against 2,360 across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Johnny Bench comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (68 to 17). At the plate, Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891), and Willie Stargell struck out more than walked (1,936 to 937). Willie Stargell's slugging percentage of .529 tops Johnny Bench's .476. On the peak-season lists, Johnny Bench's best year is 1970 at .932 OPS and Willie Stargell's is 1973 at 1.038 OPS; Willie Stargell has the stronger single season.
Johnny Bench vs Willie Stargell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Willie Stargell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Stargell leads Johnny Bench in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Willie Stargell hit more home runs?
- Willie Stargell, with 475 to Johnny Bench's 389.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Stargell, with .889 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Stargell, with .282 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Willie Stargell, with 2,232 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.