Will Clark vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Will Clark (1986–2000) and Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — 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; Mark McGwire finished with 1,626 hits and 583 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Will Clark
Mark McGwire
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Will Clark and Mark McGwire. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Will Clark | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,976 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | 7,173 | 6,187 |
| Runs | 1,186 | 1,167 |
| Hits | 2,176 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | 440 | 252 |
| Triples | 47 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 284 | 583 |
| RBI | 1,205 | 1,414 |
| Walks | 937 | 1,317 |
| Strikeouts | 1,190 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | .303 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .384 | .394 |
| Slugging % | .497 | .588 |
| OPS | .880 | .982 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Will Clark 44,531 to 29,924 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,620 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
Mark McGwire — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark McGwire leads in home runs, RBI, OBP, and OPS, while Will Clark owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mark McGwire. PIV agrees: Mark McGwire grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.