Jesse Burkett vs Fred Clarke: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Burkett has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 as a hitter; Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 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
Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Fred Clarke (1894–1915) — both debuted in the 1890s. Jesse Burkett finished with 2,850 hits and 75 home runs; Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Jesse Burkett, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jesse Burkett, with .861 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jesse Burkett, with .338 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits? Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred Clarke, with 1,015 to Jesse Burkett's 952.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jesse Burkett, with 42,233 career PIV to Fred Clarke's 34,764.
Jesse Burkett
Fred Clarke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jesse Burkett and Fred Clarke. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Jesse Burkett | Fred Clarke |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,067 | 2,246 |
| At-Bats not scored | 8,426 | 8,584 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,720 | 1,622 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,850 | 2,678 |
| Doubles | 320 | Leads: 361 |
| Triples | 182 | Leads: 220 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 75 | 67 |
| RBI | 952 | Leads: 1,015 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,029 | 875 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 613 | 511 |
| Stolen Bases | 389 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .338 | .312 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .415 | .386 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .446 | .429 |
| OPS | Leads: .861 | .814 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jesse Burkett leads Fred Clarke 42,233 to 34,764 — driven by per-season impact — 2,640 PIV per season to 1,655 — rather than by longevity, since Jesse Burkett played 16 seasons to Fred Clarke's 21. 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).
Jesse Burkett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Fred Clarke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Jesse Burkett leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, home runs, walks, and others. Fred Clarke leads 4: doubles, triples, RBI, and stolen bases. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jesse Burkett. PIV agrees: Jesse Burkett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jesse Burkett and Fred Clarke careers compare
The careers of Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Fred Clarke (1894–1915) overlapped from 1894 to 1905, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,067 games for Jesse Burkett and 2,246 for Fred Clarke across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Fred Clarke comes out ahead, it is in doubles (361 to 320), triples (220 to 182), and RBI (1,015 to 952). Jesse Burkett walked more often than struck out (1,029 walks, 613 strikeouts); Fred Clarke walked more often than struck out (875 walks, 511 strikeouts). Fred Clarke was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Jesse Burkett vs Fred Clarke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Burkett or Fred Clarke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jesse Burkett leads Fred Clarke in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jesse Burkett or Fred Clarke hit more home runs?
- Jesse Burkett, with 75 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jesse Burkett, with .861 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jesse Burkett, with .338 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Jesse Burkett, with 2,850 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.