Rick Monday vs Reggie Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Smith has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rick Monday played 1966–1984 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
Rick Monday (1966–1984) and Reggie Smith (1966–1982) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Rick Monday finished with 1,619 hits and 241 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? Reggie Smith, with 314 to Rick Monday's 241.
- Who had the higher OPS? Reggie Smith, with .855 to Rick Monday's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average? Reggie Smith, with .287 to Rick Monday's .264.
- Who had more hits? Reggie Smith, with 2,020 to Rick Monday's 1,619.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Smith, with 1,092 to Rick Monday's 775.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Reggie Smith, with 32,131 career PIV to Rick Monday's 21,071.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Rick Monday
Reggie Smith
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rick Monday and Reggie Smith. 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 | Rick Monday | Reggie Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,986 | Leads: 1,987 |
| At-Bats | 6,136 | Leads: 7,033 |
| Runs | 950 | Leads: 1,123 |
| Hits | 1,619 | Leads: 2,020 |
| Doubles | 248 | Leads: 363 |
| Triples | Leads: 64 | 57 |
| Home Runs | 241 | Leads: 314 |
| RBI | 775 | Leads: 1,092 |
| Walks | Leads: 924 | 890 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,513 | 1,030 |
| Stolen Bases | 98 | Leads: 137 |
| Batting Avg | .264 | Leads: .287 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .366 |
| Slugging % | .443 | Leads: .489 |
| OPS | .804 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Smith outpaces Rick Monday 32,131 to 21,071 — driven by per-season impact — 1,785 PIV per season to 1,109 — rather than by longevity, since Reggie Smith played 18 seasons to Rick Monday's 19. 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).
Rick Monday — top 3 seasons by OPS
Reggie Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Reggie Smith leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rick Monday owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Reggie Smith. PIV agrees: Reggie Smith grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Monday and Reggie Smith careers compare
From 1966 through 1982, Rick Monday and Reggie Smith were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,986 games for Rick Monday and 1,987 for Reggie Smith across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Rick Monday are triples (64 to 57) and walks (924 to 890). Rick Monday struck out more than walked (1,513 to 924); Reggie Smith struck out more than walked (1,030 to 890). Reggie Smith was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Reggie Smith holds the edge, .489 to .443.
Rick Monday vs Reggie Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Monday or Reggie Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Reggie Smith leads Rick Monday in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rick Monday or Reggie Smith hit more home runs?
- Reggie Smith, with 314 to Rick Monday's 241.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Reggie Smith, with .855 to Rick Monday's .804.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Reggie Smith, with .287 to Rick Monday's .264.
- Who had more hits?
- Reggie Smith, with 2,020 to Rick Monday's 1,619.