Smoky Burgess vs Willson Contreras: Career Stats Comparison
Smoky Burgess has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967 as a hitter; Willson Contreras has played 2016–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
Smoky Burgess (1949–1967) and Willson Contreras (2016–present) — they broke in during the 1940s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Smoky Burgess finished with 1,318 hits and 126 home runs; Willson Contreras has 1,077 hits and 199 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Willson Contreras, with 199 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willson Contreras, with .821 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average? Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Willson Contreras's .260.
- Who had more hits? Smoky Burgess, with 1,318 to Willson Contreras's 1,077.
- Who drove in more runs? Smoky Burgess, with 673 to Willson Contreras's 629.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Smoky Burgess, with 11,198 career PIV to Willson Contreras's 8,983.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Smoky Burgess
Willson Contreras
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Smoky Burgess and Willson Contreras. 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 1940s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Willson Contreras is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Smoky Burgess | Willson Contreras |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,691 | 1,208 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 4,471 | 4,148 |
| Runs | 485 | Leads: 594 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,318 | 1,077 |
| Doubles | Leads: 230 | 229 |
| Triples | Leads: 33 | 14 |
| Home Runs | 126 | Leads: 199 |
| RBI | Leads: 673 | 629 |
| Walks | 477 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 270 | 1,170 |
| Stolen Bases | 13 | Leads: 40 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .295 | .260 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .362 | .356 |
| Slugging % | .446 | Leads: .466 |
| OPS | .807 | Leads: .821 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Smoky Burgess leads Willson Contreras 11,198 to 8,983 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Smoky Burgess played 20 seasons to Willson Contreras's 10, while Willson Contreras carries the higher per-season figure (898 to 560). 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).
Smoky Burgess — top 3 seasons by OPS
Willson Contreras — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Smoky Burgess leads in hits, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Willson Contreras owns home runs, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Smoky Burgess. PIV agrees: Smoky Burgess grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Smoky Burgess and Willson Contreras careers compare
No season is shared: Smoky Burgess played 1949–1967, Willson Contreras 2016–present. The two careers are close in length, 1,691 games for Smoky Burgess and 1,208 for Willson Contreras across 20 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Smoky Burgess walked more often than struck out (477 walks, 270 strikeouts), while Willson Contreras struck out more than walked (1,170 to 478). Willson Contreras is the more power-leaning hitter, with 199 of 1,077 hits leaving the park. Best seasons: 1954 for Smoky Burgess (.942 OPS, 4 HR, 46 RBI, .368 avg) and 2026 (in progress) for Willson Contreras (.901 OPS, 27 HR, 81 RBI, .275 avg). Willson Contreras's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Smoky Burgess vs Willson Contreras: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Smoky Burgess or Willson Contreras?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Smoky Burgess leads Willson Contreras in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Smoky Burgess or Willson Contreras hit more home runs?
- Willson Contreras, with 199 to Smoky Burgess's 126.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willson Contreras, with .821 to Smoky Burgess's .807.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Smoky Burgess, with .295 to Willson Contreras's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Smoky Burgess, with 1,318 to Willson Contreras's 1,077.