Will Clark vs Mark McGwire: Career Stats Comparison
Will Clark has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 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.
Quick answer
- 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.
- Who won more championships? Mark McGwire, with 1 World Series title to Will Clark's 0.
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, 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 | Mark McGwire |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 1,976 | 1,874 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 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 | 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 — 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.
Related Matchups
Will Clark vs Mark McGwire: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Will Clark or Mark McGwire?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Will Clark leads Mark McGwire in 8 of 14 categories.
- 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.