Bobby Bonds vs Jack Clark: Career Stats Comparison
Jack Clark has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bobby Bonds played 1968–1981 as a hitter; Jack Clark played 1975–1992 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
Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) and Jack Clark (1975–1992) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Bobby Bonds finished with 1,886 hits and 332 home runs; Jack Clark finished with 1,826 hits and 340 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jack Clark, with 340 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jack Clark, with .854 to Bobby Bonds's .824.
- Who had the higher batting average? Bobby Bonds, with .268 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits? Bobby Bonds, with 1,886 to Jack Clark's 1,826.
- Who drove in more runs? Jack Clark, with 1,180 to Bobby Bonds's 1,024.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jack Clark, with 30,243 career PIV to Bobby Bonds's 25,739.
Bobby Bonds
Jack Clark
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Bonds and Jack Clark. 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, and the 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Bonds | Jack Clark |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,849 | Leads: 1,994 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,043 | 6,847 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,258 | 1,118 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,886 | 1,826 |
| Doubles | 302 | Leads: 332 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 39 |
| Home Runs | 332 | Leads: 340 |
| RBI | 1,024 | Leads: 1,180 |
| Walks | 914 | Leads: 1,262 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,757 | 1,441 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 461 | 77 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .268 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .353 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | .471 | Leads: .476 |
| OPS | .824 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jack Clark leads Bobby Bonds 30,243 to 25,739 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jack Clark played 18 seasons to Bobby Bonds's 15, while Bobby Bonds carries the higher per-season figure (1,716 to 1,680). 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).
Bobby Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jack Clark — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jack Clark leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Bobby Bonds owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jack Clark. PIV agrees: Jack Clark grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Bonds and Jack Clark careers compare
The careers of Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) and Jack Clark (1975–1992) overlapped from 1975 to 1981, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,849 games against 1,994 across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bobby Bonds struck out more than walked (1,757 to 914); Jack Clark struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,262). On the bases, Bobby Bonds stole more often per game played (461 steals in 1,849 games for Bobby Bonds, 77 in 1,994 for Jack Clark). Jack Clark's on-base percentage of .379 tops Bobby Bonds's .353.
Bobby Bonds vs Jack Clark: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonds or Jack Clark?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jack Clark leads Bobby Bonds in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Bonds or Jack Clark hit more home runs?
- Jack Clark, with 340 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jack Clark, with .854 to Bobby Bonds's .824.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Bobby Bonds, with .268 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Bobby Bonds, with 1,886 to Jack Clark's 1,826.