Max Carey vs Fred Clarke: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Clarke 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). Max Carey played 1910–1929 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
Max Carey (1910–1929) and Fred Clarke (1894–1915) — they broke in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Max Carey finished with 2,665 hits and 70 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 hit more home runs? Max Carey, with 70 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Clarke, with .814 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Clarke, with .312 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits? Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Max Carey's 2,665.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred Clarke, with 1,015 to Max Carey's 800.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Clarke, with 34,764 career PIV to Max Carey's 14,867.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Fred Clarke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Max Carey and Fred Clarke. 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 1910s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Max Carey | Fred Clarke |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,476 | 2,246 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,363 | 8,584 |
| Runs | 1,545 | Leads: 1,622 |
| Hits | 2,665 | Leads: 2,678 |
| Doubles | Leads: 419 | 361 |
| Triples | 159 | Leads: 220 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 70 | 67 |
| RBI | 800 | Leads: 1,015 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,040 | 875 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 695 | 511 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 738 | 509 |
| Batting Avg | .285 | Leads: .312 |
| On-Base % | .361 | Leads: .386 |
| Slugging % | .386 | Leads: .429 |
| OPS | .747 | Leads: .814 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Clarke outpaces Max Carey 34,764 to 14,867 — driven by per-season impact — 1,655 PIV per season to 708 — rather than by longevity, since Fred Clarke played 21 seasons to Max Carey's 21. 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).
Max Carey — top 3 seasons by OPS
Fred Clarke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred Clarke leads in hits, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Max Carey owns home runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred Clarke. PIV agrees: Fred Clarke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Carey and Fred Clarke careers compare
From 1910 through 1915, Max Carey and Fred Clarke were in the majors together. With 2,476 games against 2,246 across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Max Carey walked more often than struck out (1,040 walks, 695 strikeouts), and Fred Clarke walked more often than struck out (875 walks, 511 strikeouts). Max Carey was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Fred Clarke's slugging percentage of .429 tops Max Carey's .386. Best seasons: 1925 for Max Carey (.909 OPS, 5 HR, 44 RBI, .343 avg) and 1897 for Fred Clarke (.992 OPS, 6 HR, 67 RBI, .390 avg).
Max Carey vs Fred Clarke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Carey or Fred Clarke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred Clarke leads Max Carey in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Max Carey or Fred Clarke hit more home runs?
- Max Carey, with 70 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Clarke, with .814 to Max Carey's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Clarke, with .312 to Max Carey's .285.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Max Carey's 2,665.