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NTT72USA, Johnny Bench Statue at Great American Ball Park, CC BY-SA 3.0
Catcher might be one of the most difficult positions to play in all of sports, and certainly in baseball, as it is both physically taxing (squatting behind the plate for three hours while wearing heavy equipment) and mentally demanding (calling the pitches, managing runners on base, etc.). Given the heavy responsibilities bestowed upon the catcher, the focus for most baseball teams is to have a great defensive backstop, with any offense being icing on the cake; as such, this makes a catcher who is both offensively and defensively gifted a bit of a unicorn and thus, extremely valuable. Throughout the history of baseball, there have only been a select group of catchers who have excelled in both facets of the game, and unsurprisingly, most of them are Hall of Famers. When it comes to the discussion around the greatest catcher ever, chief among the handful of contenders includes Johnny Bench, one of the engines of Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” in the 1970s, and Lawrence “Yogi” Berra, who backstopped the New York Yankees dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s and is remembered as much for his quirky Berra-isms as he was for his play. In comparing the careers and achievements of the towering Bench and the diminutive Berra, the question is:
Who was better – Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra?
The Beginning
Despite the well-established rigors of being a full-time major league catcher, Bench and Berra were relatively precocious players and took over catching duties for the Reds and Yankees, respectively, in their early 20s, thus paving the way to become franchise mainstays behind the plate on their way to Hall of Fame careers.
Growing up in Oklahoma, Bench originally became a catcher on the suggestion of his father, who proclaimed it the quickest route to the major leagues. Bench’s father was right – at the age of 17, Bench was drafted 36th overall in the second round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds and after spending a couple of years with their minor league affiliate team the Buffalo Bisons, made his MLB debut in 1967. The next year, he became the Reds’ primary catcher and proceeded to hit .275 with 15 home runs, 82 runs batted in, 67 runs scored, a .311 on-base percentage, and a .433 slugging percentage (good for an OPS+ of 116; OPS+ measures on-base percentage plus slugging percentage against the league-wide average and is benchmarked to 100), in the process winning NL Rookie of the Year honors, making the first of 14 All-Star Game appearances (including 13 straight), and earning the first of 10 straight Gold Gloves (the first rookie catcher to ever win it).
After being overlooked by his local St. Louis Cardinals, Berra was signed by the New York Yankees in 1942 and joined their minor league affiliate Newark Bears after serving in the US Navy during World War II as a gunner’s mate and participating in D-Day. Though he was first called up to the big leagues in 1946, Berra’s first season as the Yankees’ full-time catcher came in 1948, when he batted .305 with 14 home runs, 98 runs batted in, 70 runs scored, a .341 on-base percentage, and a .488 slugging percentage (120 OPS+), and earned All-Star honors for the first of 15 consecutive years.
Career Comparison
Though Bench and Berra would both play full-time into their mid and late 30s, an ancient age for a catcher, their finest years came during their respective mid-20s, when each player was a stalwart in the middle of the lineup for some of the greatest dynasties in baseball history, piling up numbers and garnering records and awards during that time.
Building on his Rookie of the Year campaign, Bench would quickly become not just one of the best catchers in baseball, but one of the best players, period. His age 22 season in 1970 was perhaps his best offensively, when he hit .293 with a career-high and league-leading 45 home runs and 145 runs batted in (the RBIs were a then franchise-record), 97 runs scored, a .345 on-base percentage, and .587 slugging percentage, good for a 141 OPS+; in the process, Bench won the first of his two NL MVP awards, the youngest player to ever win it. He would follow-up on this with another MVP campaign in 1972, hitting .270 with 40 home runs and 125 runs batted in (again leading the league in both categories), 87 runs scored, a .379 on-base percentage, and .541 slugging percentage, which translated to a career-best 166 OPS+.
Two years later, in 1974, by hitting .280 with 33 home runs, 129 runs batted in, 108 runs scored, a .363 on-base percentage, and a .507 slugging percentage (143 OPS+), Bench became only the fourth catcher in baseball history with 100 runs batted in and 100 runs scored in a single season (the others being Buck Ewing in 1893, Mickey Cochrane in 1932, and Yogi Berra in 1950 – more on that one later). Following another 25+ home run, 100+ RBI season in 1975, Bench struggled with shoulder injuries and had one of his worst statistical regular seasons in 1976, but bounced back in 1977 with another strong campaign: a .275 batting average, 31 home runs, 109 runs batted in, 67 runs scored, a .348 on-base percentage, and a .540 slugging percentage, equating to a 133 OPS+. He would remain a full-time catcher until 1980 and then played primarily corner infield (first or third base) during his last three years before retiring in 1983 at the age of 35.
As for Berra, starting in 1949, he would begin a full decade of hitting at least 20 home runs with 80 runs batted in. This included his aforementioned 1950 season, when he became the third catcher ever with 100 runs batted in and 100 runs scored in a single season, hitting a career-high .322 with 28 home runs, 124 runs batted in, a career-high 116 runs scored, a .383 on-base percentage, and a .533 slugging percentage, translating to a 135 OPS+; however, he would finish third in the AL MVP voting that year, with shortstop and teammate Phil Rizzuto winning the honors. The next year, in 1951, Berra would win the first of his three AL MVP awards, albeit with lesser numbers: a .294 batting average, 27 home runs, 88 runs batted in, 92 runs scored, a .350 on-base percentage, and a .492 slugging percentage (130 OPS+). In the midst of seven consecutive seasons finishing top-five in MVP voting, Berra proceeded to win back-to-back MVPs in 1954 and 1955:
- 1954: .307 batting average, 22 home runs, a career-high 125 runs batted in, 88 runs scored, a .367 on-base percentage, and a .488 slugging percentage for an OPS+ of 136
- 1955: .272 batting average, 27 home runs, 108 runs batted in, 84 runs scored, a .349 on-base percentage, and a .470 slugging percentage for an OPS+ of 120
Though 1956 was his last truly dominant season (a 30 home run, 105 RBI season with a career-best 142 OPS+, and second in the MVP race), Berra remained an effective, above-average player for another half-decade. After retiring as a player in 1963, he was named Yankees manager for a season and led them to the World Series (where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games) before making a cameo appearance with the new crosstown New York Mets in 1965; he would play just four games with them before retiring and embarking on a long coaching career with numerous clubs.
Offensively, Bench and Berra are very close comparables – over slightly more games played and career at-bats, Bench leads in home runs (389 to 358), walks (891 to 704), and OPS+ (126 to 125), while Berra has slight advantages in career hits (2,150 to 2,048), runs (1,175 to 1,091), runs batted in (1,430 to 1,376), and all of the average/percentage categories (i.e. batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage). Both players had 11 20+ home run seasons, while Bench had one more 100+ RBI season (6 to 5) and was the all-time home run leader at the catcher position at retirement. On the defensive side, Bench caught 14,481.1 innings and had a .990 fielding percentage vs. 14,346.0 innings caught and a .989 fielding percentage for Berra, so again very close; the big difference is in Gold Gloves, where Bench won the honors for a consecutive decade, while Berra never earned the award after it was first introduced in 1957 (though it can be argued that he may have won a few in his prime in the early to mid-1950s). Berra has the advantage in MVP awards (3 to 2) and All-Star Game appearances (18 to 14), though MLB had an odd quirk from 1959 to 1962 where there were two All-Star Games per year; thus, like other stars of his era like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, Berra double-dipped All-Star Games three times (1959-1961). When looking at advanced statistics, Bench comes out ahead in career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) (75.2 to 59.4), a testament to both his offensive and defensive prowess. As two of the best catchers to ever don the equipment, both Bench and Berra were surefire Hall of Fame selections (Berra in 1972 and Bench in 1989).
Regular Season Statistics
| Johnny Bench | Player | Yogi Berra |
| 17 (1967-1983) | Seasons | 19 (1946-1963, 1965) |
| 2,158 | Games Played | 2,120 |
| 7,658 | At-Bats | 7,555 |
| 2,048 | Hits | 2,150 |
| 1,091 | Runs | 1,175 |
| 389 | Home Runs | 358 |
| 1,376 | Runs Batted In | 1,430 |
| 891 | Walks | 704 |
| 68 | Stolen Bases | 30 |
| .267 | Batting Average | .285 |
| .342 | On-Base Percentage | .348 |
| .476 | Slugging Percentage | .482 |
| 126 | OPS+ | 125 |
| 75.2 | Wins Above Replacement | 59.4 |
| 14x | All-Star Games | 18x |
| 2x | MVP | 3x |
| 2x | World Series Titles | 10x |
| 10x Gold Glove, 1x World Series MVP, Rookie of the Year | Other Awards | – |
| 1989 | Hall of Fame Induction | 1972 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
While their regular season numbers are close, Berra played nearly twice as many playoff games as Bench and thus, has the edge in most postseason numbers. Overall, Berra made the World Series 14 times in his career and won 10 titles (including five in a row from 1949 to 1953), versus Bench’s six postseason appearances, which included four World Series appearances and two titles; as a note, during Berra’s time, the AL and NL pennant winners met directly in the World Series, though by the 1970s, the Championship Series round had been introduced.
As part of Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” offense that included at its peak fellow Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Tony Perez, all-time hits leader Pete Rose (a surefire Hall of Famer if not for his gambling), and All-Stars Dave Concepcion, George Foster, and Ken Griffey Sr., Bench lost in his first two World Series appearances in 1970 (losing to the Baltimore Orioles 4-1) and 1972 (falling to the Oakland Athletics 4-3). Finally, the Reds would break through in 1975 and beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games, though Bench had a mediocre postseason offensively; despite the Reds’ win, that World Series is perhaps best known for opposing catcher and fellow Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk “waving fair” his home run in the bottom of the 12th inning in Game 6 to give Boston a 7-6 win and send it to Game 7. The next year, the defending champions Reds would return to the World Series and sweep the New York Yankees – this time, Bench was named World Series MVP, hitting .533 with 2 home runs and 6 runs batted in.
Aided by being part of arguably the greatest baseball dynasty ever (at one point or another, his teammates included Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto, and Johnny Mize, as well as a bevy of other All-Stars), Berra is the biggest winner in baseball history as measured by World Series rings. However, despite all of his postseason appearances, he actually never won World Series MVP (which was first introduced in 1955). Berra’s best all-around postseason came in 1956, when his Yankees defeated the defending champion and crosstown rivals Brooklyn Dodgers in a series that went the distance; in addition to hitting .360 with 3 home runs and 10 runs batted in, Berra would catch World Series MVP Don Larsen’s iconic perfect game in Game 5 (still the only perfect game in World Series history).
Playoff Statistics
| Johnny Bench | Player | Yogi Berra |
| 45 | Games Played | 75 |
| 169 | At-Bats | 259 |
| 45 | Hits | 71 |
| 27 | Runs | 41 |
| 10 | Home Runs | 12 |
| 20 | Runs Batted In | 39 |
| 18 | Walks | 32 |
| 6 | Stolen Bases | – |
| .266 | Batting Average | .274 |
| .335 | On-Base Percentage | .359 |
| .527 | Slugging Percentage | .452 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; Bench and Berra both fit this narrative, as evidenced by their multiple All-Star and MVP seasons at catcher before eventually switching positions toward the end of their careers. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Johnny Bench | Player | Yogi Berra |
| 1968-1970, 1972-1975, 1977-1979 | Decade of Dominance | 1948-1956, 1959 |
| 1,453 | Games Played | 1,381 |
| 5,298 | At-Bats | 5,183 |
| 1,464 | Hits | 1,521 |
| 800 | Runs | 843 |
| 288 | Home Runs | 244 |
| 1,050 | Runs Batted In | 1,014 |
| 48 | Walks | 21 |
| 637 | Stolen Bases | 486 |
| .276 | Batting Average | .293 |
| .356 | On-Base Percentage | .359 |
| .500 | Slugging Percentage | .495 |
| 61.5 | Wins Above Replacement | 46.1 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Looking at their respective decades of dominance, the directional comparisons still hold – Berra was arguably the better all-around hitter, while Bench was the more feared slugger and run producer, and the better defensive catcher. Moreover, the 8.6 WAR Bench generated during his 1972 MVP season is far and away the highest number for any of their best seasons (Berra’s career-best was 6.3 in 1956).
My Thoughts
Perhaps more so than any other position in baseball, the measure of a catcher’s greatness is as much in his defensive skills as in his offensive ability. Without a doubt, Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra are both among the five best catchers in baseball history. From an offensive perspective, their career production is as close to a tie as you can get – do you prefer Bench’s power and run production in the middle of the lineup or Berra’s all-around hitting capabilities? On the defensive side, though, while Berra was certainly no slouch despite his diminutive stature, Bench’s smarts, powerful frame, and throwing arm helped make him arguably the best behind the plate during his heyday. Both were also winners, as evidenced by their multiple World Series titles – in fact, Berra is baseball’s ultimate winner, though he is certainly the beneficiary of circumstance and being in the right place at the right time.
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Johnny Bench
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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