Fred Clarke vs Billy Hamilton: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Hamilton has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 1890s and the 1880s respectively and share 8 seasons. 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 leads the career comparison? Billy Hamilton, in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.
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. 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 | Fred Clarke | Billy Hamilton |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 2,246 | 1,594 |
| At-Bats not scored | 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 not scored | 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 — driven by per-season impact — 2,715 PIV per season to 1,655 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Hamilton played 14 seasons to Fred Clarke's 21. 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
Billy Hamilton leads 7 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, walks, stolen bases, batting average, and others. Fred Clarke leads 5: hits, doubles, triples, home runs, and others. 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
How the Fred Clarke and Billy Hamilton careers compare
From 1894 through 1901, Fred Clarke and Billy Hamilton were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,246 games for Fred Clarke and 1,594 for Billy Hamilton across 21 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Fred Clarke walked more often than struck out (875 walks, 511 strikeouts), and Billy Hamilton walked more often than struck out (1,189 walks, 362 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Fred Clarke's hits: 67 of 2,678 for Fred Clarke, 40 of 2,164 for Billy Hamilton. Billy Hamilton was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Fred Clarke vs Billy Hamilton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Billy Hamilton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Hamilton leads Fred Clarke in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- 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.