Will Clark vs Fred McGriff: Career Stats Comparison
Fred McGriff has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Will Clark played 1986–2000 as a hitter; Fred McGriff played 1986–2004 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 Fred McGriff (1986–2004) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Will Clark finished with 2,176 hits and 284 home runs; Fred McGriff finished with 2,490 hits and 493 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Fred McGriff, with 493 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred McGriff, with .886 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Will Clark, with .303 to Fred McGriff's .284.
- Who had more hits? Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Will Clark's 2,176.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred McGriff, with 1,550 to Will Clark's 1,205.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred McGriff, with 37,233 career PIV to Will Clark's 29,924.
- Who won more championships? Fred McGriff, with 1 World Series title to Will Clark's 0.
Will Clark
Fred McGriff
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Will Clark and Fred McGriff. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Will Clark | Fred McGriff |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,976 | Leads: 2,460 |
| At-Bats | 7,173 | Leads: 8,757 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,349 |
| Hits | 2,176 | Leads: 2,490 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 441 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 24 |
| Home Runs | 284 | Leads: 493 |
| RBI | 1,205 | Leads: 1,550 |
| Walks | 937 | Leads: 1,305 |
| Strikeouts | 1,190 | 1,882 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 72 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .284 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .377 |
| Slugging % | .497 | Leads: .509 |
| OPS | .880 | Leads: .886 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred McGriff leads Will Clark 37,233 to 29,924 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,773 vs 1,870 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 OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Will Clark — top 3 seasons by OPS
Fred McGriff — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred McGriff leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Will Clark owns batting average and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred McGriff. PIV agrees: Fred McGriff grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Will Clark vs Fred McGriff: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Will Clark or Fred McGriff?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred McGriff leads Will Clark in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Will Clark or Fred McGriff hit more home runs?
- Fred McGriff, with 493 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred McGriff, with .886 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Will Clark, with .303 to Fred McGriff's .284.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred McGriff, with 2,490 to Will Clark's 2,176.