Jack Clark vs Carl Yastrzemski: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Yastrzemski has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jack Clark played 1975–1992 as a hitter; Carl Yastrzemski played 1961–1983 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 Carl Yastrzemski (1961–1983) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 9 seasons. Jack Clark finished with 1,826 hits and 340 home runs; Carl Yastrzemski finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Carl Yastrzemski, in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Jack Clark's 340.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jack Clark, with .854 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average? Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits? Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Jack Clark's 1,826.
- Who drove in more runs? Carl Yastrzemski, with 1,844 to Jack Clark's 1,180.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Carl Yastrzemski, with 54,310 career PIV to Jack Clark's 30,243.
Jack Clark
Carl Yastrzemski
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jack Clark and Carl Yastrzemski. 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 | Jack Clark | Carl Yastrzemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,994 | 3,308 |
| At-Bats not scored | 6,847 | 11,988 |
| Runs | 1,118 | Leads: 1,816 |
| Hits | 1,826 | Leads: 3,419 |
| Doubles | 332 | Leads: 646 |
| Triples | 39 | Leads: 59 |
| Home Runs | 340 | Leads: 452 |
| RBI | 1,180 | Leads: 1,844 |
| Walks | 1,262 | Leads: 1,845 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,393 |
| Stolen Bases | 77 | Leads: 168 |
| Batting Avg | .267 | Leads: .285 |
| On-Base % | .379 | Leads: .379 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .476 | .462 |
| OPS | Leads: .854 | .841 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Yastrzemski outpaces Jack Clark 54,310 to 30,243 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,361 PIV per season to 1,680, across 23 seasons to 18. 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).
Jack Clark — top 3 seasons by OPS
Carl Yastrzemski — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Carl Yastrzemski leads 10 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Jack Clark leads 2: slugging percentage and OPS. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Yastrzemski. PIV agrees: Carl Yastrzemski 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 Carl Yastrzemski careers compare
Jack Clark and Carl Yastrzemski were active at the same time between 1975 and 1983. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jack Clark appeared in 1,994 games to Carl Yastrzemski's 3,308. Jack Clark's edges on the table are slugging percentage (.476 to .462) and OPS (.854 to .841). At the plate, Jack Clark struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,262), while Carl Yastrzemski walked more often than struck out (1,845 walks, 1,393 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jack Clark's hits: 340 of 1,826 for Jack Clark, 452 of 3,419 for Carl Yastrzemski.
Jack Clark vs Carl Yastrzemski: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jack Clark or Carl Yastrzemski?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Yastrzemski leads Jack Clark in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Jack Clark or Carl Yastrzemski hit more home runs?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 452 to Jack Clark's 340.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jack Clark, with .854 to Carl Yastrzemski's .841.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with .285 to Jack Clark's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Carl Yastrzemski, with 3,419 to Jack Clark's 1,826.