Fred Clarke vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 as a hitter; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits? Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.
- Who drove in more runs? Babe Ruth, with 2,217 to Fred Clarke's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Fred Clarke's 34,764.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Fred Clarke's 1.
Fred Clarke
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Babe Ruth. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1890s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Clarke | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,246 | Leads: 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,584 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | 2,678 | Leads: 2,873 |
| Doubles | 361 | Leads: 506 |
| Triples | Leads: 220 | 136 |
| Home Runs | 67 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 2,217 |
| Walks | 875 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 511 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 123 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Fred Clarke 111,979 to 34,764 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,090 PIV per season to 1,655, across 22 seasons to 21. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Fred Clarke owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
Fred Clarke and Babe Ruth were active at the same time between 1914 and 1915. With 2,246 games against 2,503 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Fred Clarke comes out ahead, it is in at-bats (8,584 to 8,398), triples (220 to 136), and stolen bases (509 to 123). Fred Clarke walked more often than struck out (875 walks, 511 strikeouts); Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Babe Ruth's hits: 67 of 2,678 for Fred Clarke, 714 of 2,873 for Babe Ruth.
Fred Clarke vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Fred Clarke in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Babe Ruth, with 2,873 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.