Will Clark vs Keith Hernandez: Career Stats Comparison

Will Clark (1986–2000) and Keith Hernandez (1974–1990) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Will Clark finished with 2,176 hits and 284 home runs; Keith Hernandez finished with 2,182 hits and 162 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Will Clark

Hitter · 1986–2000
Games
1,976
Hits
2,176
Home Runs
284
RBI
1,205
Avg
.303
OPS
.880
View Will Clark's full profile →

Keith Hernandez

Hitter · 1974–1990
Games
2,088
Hits
2,182
Home Runs
162
RBI
1,071
Avg
.296
OPS
.821
View Keith Hernandez's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Will Clark and Keith Hernandez. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Will Clark Keith Hernandez
Games 1,976 2,088
At-Bats 7,173 7,370
Runs 1,186 1,124
Hits 2,176 2,182
Doubles 440 426
Triples 47 60
Home Runs 284 162
RBI 1,205 1,071
Walks 937 1,070
Strikeouts 1,190 1,012
Stolen Bases 67 98
Batting Avg .303 .296
On-Base % .384 .384
Slugging % .497 .436
OPS .880 .821

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Will Clark leads Keith Hernandez 29,924 to 25,249 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,870 vs 1,403 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Will Clark
29,924
Career PIV · 1,870 per season (16 seasons)
Keith Hernandez
25,249
Career PIV · 1,403 per season (18 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

1989.953 OPS23 HR, 111 RBI, .333 avg
1987.951 OPS35 HR, 91 RBI, .308 avg
1994.932 OPS13 HR, 80 RBI, .329 avg

Keith Hernandez — top 3 seasons by OPS

1979.930 OPS11 HR, 105 RBI, .344 avg
1980.902 OPS16 HR, 99 RBI, .321 avg
1981.864 OPS8 HR, 48 RBI, .306 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Will Clark leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and batting average, while Keith Hernandez owns hits, stolen bases, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Will Clark. PIV agrees: Will Clark grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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