Al Kaline vs Reggie Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 13 statistical categories compared on this page. Al Kaline played 1953–1974 as a hitter; Reggie Smith played 1966–1982 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
Al Kaline (1953–1974) and Reggie Smith (1966–1982) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs; Reggie Smith finished with 2,020 hits and 314 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Kaline, with 399 to Reggie Smith's 314.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Al Kaline, with .297 to Reggie Smith's .287.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Reggie Smith's 2,020.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Reggie Smith's 1,092.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Reggie Smith's 32,131.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Al Kaline
Reggie Smith
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Al Kaline and Reggie Smith. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Kaline | Reggie Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,834 | 1,987 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,116 | 7,033 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,123 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,007 | 2,020 |
| Doubles | Leads: 498 | 363 |
| Triples | Leads: 75 | 57 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 399 | 314 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,583 | 1,092 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,277 | 890 |
| Strikeouts | 1,020 | 1,030 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | 137 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .287 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .366 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | Leads: .855 | .855 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline outpaces Reggie Smith 45,087 to 32,131 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,049 vs 1,785 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Reggie Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Reggie Smith owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Al Kaline vs Reggie Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Kaline or Reggie Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Reggie Smith in 12 of 13 categories.
- Did Al Kaline or Reggie Smith hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Reggie Smith's 314.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Al Kaline, with .297 to Reggie Smith's .287.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Reggie Smith's 2,020.