Reggie Smith vs Rusty Staub: Career Stats Comparison
Reggie Smith (1966–1982) and Rusty Staub (1963–1985) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Reggie Smith finished with 2,020 hits and 314 home runs; Rusty Staub finished with 2,716 hits and 292 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Reggie Smith
Rusty Staub
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Reggie Smith and Rusty Staub. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Reggie Smith | Rusty Staub |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,987 | 2,951 |
| At-Bats | 7,033 | 9,720 |
| Runs | 1,123 | 1,189 |
| Hits | 2,020 | 2,716 |
| Doubles | 363 | 499 |
| Triples | 57 | 47 |
| Home Runs | 314 | 292 |
| RBI | 1,092 | 1,466 |
| Walks | 890 | 1,255 |
| Strikeouts | 1,030 | 888 |
| Stolen Bases | 137 | 47 |
| Batting Avg | .287 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .366 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .489 | .431 |
| OPS | .855 | .793 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Smith edges Rusty Staub 32,131 to 30,346 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,785 vs 1,264 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).
Reggie Smith — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rusty Staub — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Reggie Smith leads in home runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Rusty Staub owns hits, RBI, and runs. 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.