Jack Clark vs Chet Lemon: Career Stats Comparison
Jack Clark has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Chet Lemon played 1975–1990 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 Chet Lemon (1975–1990) — 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; Chet Lemon finished with 1,875 hits and 215 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 Chet Lemon's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jack Clark, with .854 to Chet Lemon's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average? Chet Lemon, with .273 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits? Chet Lemon, with 1,875 to Jack Clark's 1,826.
- Who drove in more runs? Jack Clark, with 1,180 to Chet Lemon's 884.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jack Clark, with 30,243 career PIV to Chet Lemon's 17,435.
- Who won more championships? Chet Lemon, with 1 World Series title to Jack Clark's 0.
Jack Clark
Chet Lemon
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jack Clark and Chet Lemon. 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 | Chet Lemon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,994 | 1,988 |
| At-Bats | 6,847 | Leads: 6,868 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,118 | 973 |
| Hits | 1,826 | Leads: 1,875 |
| Doubles | 332 | Leads: 396 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 61 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 340 | 215 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,180 | 884 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,262 | 749 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,024 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 77 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .379 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .442 |
| OPS | Leads: .854 | .797 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jack Clark outpaces Chet Lemon 30,243 to 17,435 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,680 PIV per season to 1,090, across 18 seasons to 16. 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
Chet Lemon — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jack Clark leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Chet Lemon owns hits 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 Chet Lemon careers compare
Jack Clark and Chet Lemon were active at the same time between 1975 and 1990. The two careers are close in length, 1,994 games for Jack Clark and 1,988 for Chet Lemon across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Jack Clark struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,262), and Chet Lemon struck out more than walked (1,024 to 749). Home runs make up a larger share of Jack Clark's hits: 340 of 1,826 for Jack Clark, 215 of 1,875 for Chet Lemon. Jack Clark's slugging percentage of .476 tops Chet Lemon's .442.
Jack Clark vs Chet Lemon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jack Clark or Chet Lemon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jack Clark leads Chet Lemon in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jack Clark or Chet Lemon hit more home runs?
- Jack Clark, with 340 to Chet Lemon's 215.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jack Clark, with .854 to Chet Lemon's .797.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Chet Lemon, with .273 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Chet Lemon, with 1,875 to Jack Clark's 1,826.