Fred Clarke vs Jimmy Ryan: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Clarke 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; Jimmy Ryan played 1885–1903 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 Jimmy Ryan (1885–1903) — 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; Jimmy Ryan finished with 2,513 hits and 118 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jimmy Ryan, with 118 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmy Ryan, with .820 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Clarke, with .312 to Jimmy Ryan's .308.
- Who had more hits? Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Jimmy Ryan's 2,513.
- Who drove in more runs? Jimmy Ryan, with 1,093 to Fred Clarke's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Clarke, with 34,764 career PIV to Jimmy Ryan's 27,588.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Jimmy Ryan's 0.
Fred Clarke
Jimmy Ryan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Jimmy Ryan. 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 | Jimmy Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,246 | 2,014 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,584 | 8,172 |
| Runs | 1,622 | Leads: 1,643 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,678 | 2,513 |
| Doubles | 361 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 220 | 157 |
| Home Runs | 67 | Leads: 118 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,093 |
| Walks | Leads: 875 | 804 |
| Strikeouts | 511 | 491 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 419 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .308 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .386 | .375 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .444 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .820 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Clarke leads Jimmy Ryan 34,764 to 27,588 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,655 vs 1,533 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
Jimmy Ryan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred Clarke leads in hits, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Jimmy Ryan owns home runs, RBI, and runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fred Clarke. PIV agrees: Fred Clarke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred Clarke vs Jimmy Ryan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Jimmy Ryan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred Clarke leads Jimmy Ryan in 8 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Jimmy Ryan hit more home runs?
- Jimmy Ryan, with 118 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmy Ryan, with .820 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Clarke, with .312 to Jimmy Ryan's .308.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Jimmy Ryan's 2,513.