He was signed by the Phillies in 1958 after attending Shasta College and played four full seasons in their farm system before being promoted to the Majors from Triple-A in May 1962.

He was the Phillies' opening day starting pitcher in 1964 against the Mets and did not record a decision in a game the Phils eventually won, 5–3, behind reliever Johnny Klippstein.

[2] Bennett took a regular turn in the 1964 Phillies' starting rotation but a lingering shoulder injury, a leftover from his winter 1963 car accident, began to limit his effectiveness in the season's final weeks.

During his half-season with Boston, he contributed four wins to the 1967 Red Sox, who unexpectedly won the American League pennant on the season's final day.

After going 1–1 with the 1967 Mets, Bennett played at the Triple-A level in the Chicago Cubs' organization before landing with the 1968 Angels, where he went winless in five decisions over the season's final two months.