Fred Clarke vs Billy Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Clarke and Billy Hamilton are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 as a hitter; Billy Hamilton played 1888–1901 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 Billy Hamilton (1888–1901) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1880s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 home runs; Billy Hamilton finished with 2,164 hits and 40 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Fred Clarke, with 67 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS? Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits? Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred Clarke, with 1,015 to Billy Hamilton's 742.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Billy Hamilton, with 38,004 career PIV to Fred Clarke's 34,764.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Billy Hamilton's 0.
Fred Clarke
Billy Hamilton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Billy Hamilton. 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 | Billy Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,246 | 1,594 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,584 | 6,283 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 1,697 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,678 | 2,164 |
| Doubles | Leads: 361 | 242 |
| Triples | Leads: 220 | 95 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 67 | 40 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 742 |
| Walks | 875 | Leads: 1,189 |
| Strikeouts | 511 | 362 |
| Stolen Bases | 509 | Leads: 914 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .455 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .432 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .888 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Hamilton leads Fred Clarke 38,004 to 34,764 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,715 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
Billy Hamilton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Hamilton leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Fred Clarke owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Hamilton. PIV agrees: Billy Hamilton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred Clarke vs Billy Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Fred Clarke or Billy Hamilton hit more home runs?
- Fred Clarke, with 67 to Billy Hamilton's 40.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Billy Hamilton, with .888 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Billy Hamilton, with .344 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Billy Hamilton's 2,164.