Willson Contreras vs Josh Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Josh Gibson 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). Willson Contreras has played 2016–present as a hitter; Josh Gibson played ?–1946 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
Willson Contreras (2016–present) and Josh Gibson (?–1946) — their careers are worth a careful side-by-side. Willson Contreras has 1,077 hits and 199 home runs through October 6, 2026; Josh Gibson finished with 1,007 hits and 197 home runs. 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 Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Willson Contreras's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Gibson, with .364 to Willson Contreras's .260.
- Who had more hits? Willson Contreras, with 1,077 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.
- Who drove in more runs? Josh Gibson, with 872 to Willson Contreras's 629.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Gibson, with 28,319 career PIV to Willson Contreras's 8,983.
- Who won more championships? Josh Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Willson Contreras's 1.
Willson Contreras
Josh Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willson Contreras and Josh Gibson. 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.
Willson Contreras is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Willson Contreras | Josh Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,208 | 766 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 4,148 | 2,768 |
| Runs | 594 | Leads: 733 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,077 | 1,007 |
| Doubles | Leads: 229 | 170 |
| Triples | 14 | Leads: 72 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 199 | 197 |
| RBI | 629 | Leads: 872 |
| Walks | Leads: 478 | 400 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,170 | 20 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 44 |
| Batting Avg | .260 | Leads: .364 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .446 |
| Slugging % | .466 | Leads: .691 |
| OPS | .821 | Leads: 1.136 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Gibson outpaces Willson Contreras 28,319 to 8,983 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,666 PIV per season to 898, across 17 seasons to 10. 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).
Willson Contreras — top 3 seasons by OPS
Josh Gibson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Gibson leads in RBI, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Willson Contreras owns hits and home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Gibson. PIV agrees: Josh Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willson Contreras and Josh Gibson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Josh Gibson's ended in 1946, and Willson Contreras debuted in 2016. Willson Contreras has the far longer record, 1,208 games against 766 across 10 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Plate discipline differs: Willson Contreras struck out more than walked (1,170 to 478), but Josh Gibson walked more often than struck out (400 walks, 20 strikeouts). Josh Gibson has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Willson Contreras's best is 2026 (in progress). Willson Contreras's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Willson Contreras vs Josh Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willson Contreras or Josh Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Josh Gibson leads Willson Contreras in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willson Contreras or Josh Gibson hit more home runs?
- Willson Contreras, with 199 to Josh Gibson's 197.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Gibson, with 1.136 to Willson Contreras's .821.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Gibson, with .364 to Willson Contreras's .260.
- Who had more hits?
- Willson Contreras, with 1,077 to Josh Gibson's 1,007.