Will Clark vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Will Clark played 1986–2000 as a hitter; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Will Clark finished with 2,176 hits and 284 home runs; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average? Will Clark, with .303 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Will Clark's 2,176.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Will Clark's 1,205.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Will Clark's 29,924.
Will Clark
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Will Clark and Jim Thome. 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 | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,976 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 7,173 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,186 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 2,176 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 47 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 284 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 1,205 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 937 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts | 1,190 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 67 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .303 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .384 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .497 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .880 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome outpaces Will Clark 51,664 to 29,924 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,067 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Will Clark owns stolen bases and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Will Clark vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Will Clark or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Will Clark in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Will Clark or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Will Clark's 284.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Will Clark's .880.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Will Clark, with .303 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Will Clark's 2,176.