Jack Clark vs Kirk Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Jack Clark has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jack Clark played 1975–1992 as a hitter; Kirk Gibson played 1979–1995 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
Jack Clark (1975–1992) and Kirk Gibson (1979–1995) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Jack Clark finished with 1,826 hits and 340 home runs; Kirk Gibson finished with 1,553 hits and 255 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 Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jack Clark, with .854 to Kirk Gibson's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Kirk Gibson, with .268 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits? Jack Clark, with 1,826 to Kirk Gibson's 1,553.
- Who drove in more runs? Jack Clark, with 1,180 to Kirk Gibson's 870.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jack Clark, with 30,243 career PIV to Kirk Gibson's 15,883.
- Who won more championships? Kirk Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Jack Clark's 0.
Jack Clark
Kirk Gibson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jack Clark and Kirk Gibson. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jack Clark | Kirk Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,994 | 1,635 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 6,847 | 5,798 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,118 | 985 |
| Hits | Leads: 1,826 | 1,553 |
| Doubles | Leads: 332 | 260 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 54 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 340 | 255 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,180 | 870 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,262 | 718 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,285 |
| Stolen Bases | 77 | Leads: 284 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .352 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .463 |
| OPS | Leads: .854 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jack Clark outpaces Kirk Gibson 30,243 to 15,883 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,680 PIV per season to 934, across 18 seasons to 17. 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).
Jack Clark — top 3 seasons by OPS
Kirk Gibson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jack Clark leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Kirk Gibson owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Jack Clark and Kirk Gibson careers compare
The careers of Jack Clark (1975–1992) and Kirk Gibson (1979–1995) overlapped from 1979 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 1,994 games against 1,635 across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Kirk Gibson are triples (54 to 39), stolen bases (284 to 77), and batting average (.268 to .267). At the plate, Jack Clark struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,262), and Kirk Gibson struck out more than walked (1,285 to 718). On the bases, Kirk Gibson stole more often per game played (77 steals in 1,994 games for Jack Clark, 284 in 1,635 for Kirk Gibson).
Jack Clark vs Kirk Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jack Clark or Kirk Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jack Clark leads Kirk Gibson in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jack Clark or Kirk Gibson hit more home runs?
- Jack Clark, with 340 to Kirk Gibson's 255.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jack Clark, with .854 to Kirk Gibson's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Kirk Gibson, with .268 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Jack Clark, with 1,826 to Kirk Gibson's 1,553.