Watson Clark vs Larry French: Career Stats Comparison
Watson Clark (1924–1937) and Larry French (1929–1942) — both came up during the 1920s, so the matchup is a direct one. Watson Clark compiled 111 wins and 643 strikeouts; Larry French put up 197 wins and 1,187 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Watson Clark
Larry French
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Watson Clark | Larry French |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 111 | 197 |
| Losses | 97 | 171 |
| Games | 355 | 570 |
| Games Started | 206 | 384 |
| Complete Games | 91 | 198 |
| Shutouts | 14 | 40 |
| Saves | 16 | 17 |
| Strikeouts | 643 | 1,187 |
| Walks | 383 | 819 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,897 | 3,375 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 86 | 164 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,747 | 3,152 |
| ERA | 3.66 | 3.44 |
| WHIP | 1.30 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | 3.31 | 3.39 |
| BB/9 | 1.97 | 2.34 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry French leads Watson Clark 31,032 to 23,338 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,069 vs 1,667 per year). 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 ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Watson Clark — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Larry French — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Larry French leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Watson Clark owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Larry French. PIV agrees: Larry French grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.