Will Clark vs Fred McGriff: Career Stats Comparison

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.

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 →

Fred McGriff

Hitter · 1986–2004
Games
2,460
Hits
2,490
Home Runs
493
RBI
1,550
Avg
.284
OPS
.886
View Fred McGriff's full profile →

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; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Will Clark Fred McGriff
Games 1,976 2,460
At-Bats 7,173 8,757
Runs 1,186 1,349
Hits 2,176 2,490
Doubles 440 441
Triples 47 24
Home Runs 284 493
RBI 1,205 1,550
Walks 937 1,305
Strikeouts 1,190 1,882
Stolen Bases 67 72
Batting Avg .303 .284
On-Base % .384 .377
Slugging % .497 .509
OPS .880 .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.

Will Clark
29,924
Career PIV · 1,870 per season (16 seasons)
Fred McGriff
37,233
Career PIV · 1,773 per season (21 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

Fred McGriff — top 3 seasons by OPS

19941.012 OPS34 HR, 94 RBI, .318 avg
1999.957 OPS32 HR, 104 RBI, .310 avg
1992.950 OPS35 HR, 104 RBI, .286 avg

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.

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