Will Clark vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Will Clark and Mark McGwire are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Will Clark played 1986–2000 as a hitter; Mark McGwire played 1986–2001 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 Mark McGwire (1986–2001) — both debuted in the 1980s. 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.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Who hit more home runs? Mark McGwire, with 583 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS? Mark McGwire, with .982 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Will Clark, with .303 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits? Will Clark, with 2,176 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.
- Who drove in more runs? Mark McGwire, with 1,414 to Will Clark's 1,205.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Mark McGwire, with 44,531 career PIV to Will Clark's 29,924.
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. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Will Clark | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,976 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,173 | 6,187 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,186 | 1,167 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,176 | 1,626 |
| Doubles | Leads: 440 | 252 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 6 |
| Home Runs | 284 | Leads: 583 |
| RBI | 1,205 | Leads: 1,414 |
| Walks | 937 | Leads: 1,317 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,190 | 1,596 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 12 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .263 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .394 |
| Slugging % | .497 | Leads: .588 |
| OPS | .880 | Leads: .982 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark McGwire outpaces Will Clark 44,531 to 29,924 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,783 PIV per season to 1,995, across 16 seasons to 15. 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
Will Clark and Mark McGwire split the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card 6-6. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Mark McGwire higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Will Clark and Mark McGwire careers compare
Will Clark and Mark McGwire were active at the same time between 1986 and 2000. With 1,976 games against 1,874 across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Will Clark struck out more than walked (1,190 to 937), and Mark McGwire struck out more than walked (1,596 to 1,317). Mark McGwire is the more power-leaning hitter, with 583 of 1,626 hits leaving the park. Mark McGwire's slugging percentage of .588 tops Will Clark's .497. Mark McGwire owns the better peak by OPS: .964 OPS in 2000 for Will Clark against 1.222 OPS in 1998 for Mark McGwire.
Will Clark vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Will Clark or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 12 scored categories 6–6.
- Did Will Clark or Mark McGwire hit more home runs?
- Mark McGwire, with 583 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Mark McGwire, with .982 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Will Clark, with .303 to Mark McGwire's .263.
- Who had more hits?
- Will Clark, with 2,176 to Mark McGwire's 1,626.