Johnny Bench vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams 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; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — 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; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Johnny Bench's 389.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Johnny Bench's 1,376.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Johnny Bench's 25,321.
- Who won more championships? Johnny Bench, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Johnny Bench
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Johnny Bench and Ted Williams. 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 | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,158 | Leads: 2,292 |
| At-Bats | 7,658 | Leads: 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,091 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,048 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 381 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | 24 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | 389 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,376 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 891 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,278 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .342 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .476 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .817 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Johnny Bench 96,302 to 25,321 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 1,489, across 19 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams 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 Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams 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 Ted Williams careers compare
No season is shared: Ted Williams played 1939–1960, Johnny Bench 1967–1983. With 2,158 games against 2,292 across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Johnny Bench are stolen bases (68 to 24). Plate discipline differs: Johnny Bench struck out more than walked (1,278 to 891), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Ted Williams's slugging percentage of .634 tops Johnny Bench's .476. Best seasons: 1970 for Johnny Bench (.932 OPS, 45 HR, 148 RBI, .293 avg) and 1941 for Ted Williams (1.287 OPS, 37 HR, 120 RBI, .406 avg).
Johnny Bench vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johnny Bench or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Johnny Bench in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Johnny Bench or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Johnny Bench's 389.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Johnny Bench's .817.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Johnny Bench's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Johnny Bench's 2,048.