Fred Clarke vs Sam Crawford: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Crawford has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 as a hitter; Sam Crawford played 1899–1917 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
Fred Clarke (1894–1915) and Sam Crawford (1899–1917) — both broke in during the 1890s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 home runs; Sam Crawford finished with 2,961 hits and 97 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Sam Crawford, with 97 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Clarke, with .312 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits? Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.
- Who drove in more runs? Sam Crawford, with 1,519 to Fred Clarke's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Sam Crawford, with 41,381 career PIV to Fred Clarke's 34,764.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Sam Crawford's 0.
Fred Clarke
Sam Crawford
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Sam Crawford. 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 | Fred Clarke | Sam Crawford |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,246 | Leads: 2,517 |
| At-Bats | 8,584 | Leads: 9,570 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,391 |
| Hits | 2,678 | Leads: 2,961 |
| Doubles | 361 | Leads: 458 |
| Triples | 220 | Leads: 309 |
| Home Runs | 67 | Leads: 97 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,519 |
| Walks | Leads: 875 | 760 |
| Strikeouts | 511 | 580 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 366 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .309 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .386 | .362 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .452 |
| OPS | Leads: .814 | .814 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sam Crawford leads Fred Clarke 41,381 to 34,764 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,178 vs 1,655 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).
Fred Clarke — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sam Crawford — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred Clarke leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Sam Crawford owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred Clarke. Note that PIV actually grades Sam Crawford ahead, which means Fred Clarke's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred Clarke vs Sam Crawford: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Sam Crawford?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Crawford leads Fred Clarke in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Sam Crawford hit more home runs?
- Sam Crawford, with 97 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Clarke, with .312 to Sam Crawford's .309.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Crawford, with 2,961 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.