Will Clark vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Will Clark played 1986–2000 as a hitter; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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 Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — both debuted in the 1980s. Will Clark finished with 2,176 hits and 284 home runs; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Rafael Palmeiro, in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Will Clark, with .303 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Will Clark's 2,176.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Will Clark's 1,205.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Will Clark's 29,924.
Will Clark
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro. 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 | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,976 | 2,831 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,173 | 10,472 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 2,176 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 284 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,205 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 937 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,190 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 67 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .288 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .371 |
| Slugging % | .497 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .880 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Will Clark 42,814 to 29,924 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 1,995, across 20 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
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Rafael Palmeiro leads 9 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and others. Will Clark leads 3: triples, batting average, and on-base percentage. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
The careers of Will Clark (1986–2000) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) overlapped from 1986 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,976 games for Will Clark and 2,831 for Rafael Palmeiro across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Will Clark's edges on the table are triples (47 to 38), batting average (.303 to .288), and on-base percentage (.384 to .371). Plate discipline differs: Will Clark struck out more than walked (1,190 to 937), but Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts).
Will Clark vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Will Clark or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Will Clark in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Will Clark or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Will Clark, with .303 to Rafael Palmeiro's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Will Clark's 2,176.