Will Clark vs Todd Helton: Career Stats Comparison
Todd Helton has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Will Clark played 1986–2000 as a hitter; Todd Helton played 1997–2013 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
Will Clark (1986–2000) and Todd Helton (1997–2013) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Will Clark finished with 2,176 hits and 284 home runs; Todd Helton finished with 2,519 hits and 369 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Todd Helton, with 369 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS? Todd Helton, with .953 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Todd Helton, with .316 to Will Clark's .303.
- Who had more hits? Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Will Clark's 2,176.
- Who drove in more runs? Todd Helton, with 1,406 to Will Clark's 1,205.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Todd Helton, with 48,515 career PIV to Will Clark's 29,924.
Will Clark
Todd Helton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Will Clark and Todd Helton. 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Will Clark | Todd Helton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,976 | Leads: 2,247 |
| At-Bats | 7,173 | Leads: 7,962 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,401 |
| Hits | 2,176 | Leads: 2,519 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 592 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 37 |
| Home Runs | 284 | Leads: 369 |
| RBI | 1,205 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Walks | 937 | Leads: 1,335 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,190 | 1,175 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 37 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | Leads: .316 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .414 |
| Slugging % | .497 | Leads: .539 |
| OPS | .880 | Leads: .953 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Todd Helton outpaces Will Clark 48,515 to 29,924 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,854 PIV per season to 1,870, across 17 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).
Will Clark — top 3 seasons by OPS
Todd Helton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Todd Helton leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Will Clark owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Todd Helton. PIV agrees: Todd Helton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Will Clark and Todd Helton careers compare
From 1997 through 2000, Will Clark and Todd Helton were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,976 games for Will Clark and 2,247 for Todd Helton across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Will Clark comes out ahead, it is in triples (47 to 37) and stolen bases (67 to 37). At the plate, Will Clark struck out more than walked (1,190 to 937), while Todd Helton walked more often than struck out (1,335 walks, 1,175 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Todd Helton holds the edge, .539 to .497.
Will Clark vs Todd Helton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Will Clark or Todd Helton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Todd Helton leads Will Clark in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Will Clark or Todd Helton hit more home runs?
- Todd Helton, with 369 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Todd Helton, with .953 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Todd Helton, with .316 to Will Clark's .303.
- Who had more hits?
- Todd Helton, with 2,519 to Will Clark's 2,176.