Fred Clarke vs Roy Thomas: Career Stats Comparison
Fred Clarke has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Roy Thomas played 1899–1911 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 Roy Thomas (1899–1911) — 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; Roy Thomas finished with 1,537 hits and 7 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 Roy Thomas's 7.
- Who had the higher OPS? Fred Clarke, with .814 to Roy Thomas's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average? Fred Clarke, with .312 to Roy Thomas's .290.
- Who had more hits? Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Roy Thomas's 1,537.
- Who drove in more runs? Fred Clarke, with 1,015 to Roy Thomas's 299.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Clarke, with 34,764 career PIV to Roy Thomas's 22,392.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Roy Thomas's 0.
Fred Clarke
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Roy Thomas. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fred Clarke | Roy Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,246 | 1,470 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,584 | 5,296 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,011 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,678 | 1,537 |
| Doubles | Leads: 361 | 100 |
| Triples | Leads: 220 | 53 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 67 | 7 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 299 |
| Walks | 875 | Leads: 1,042 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 511 | 521 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 244 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .312 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .386 | Leads: .413 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .429 | .333 |
| OPS | Leads: .814 | .747 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Clarke outpaces Roy Thomas 34,764 to 22,392 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,655 PIV per season to 1,599, across 21 seasons to 14. 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
Roy Thomas — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fred Clarke leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Roy Thomas owns OBP. 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
How the Fred Clarke and Roy Thomas careers compare
From 1899 through 1911, Fred Clarke and Roy Thomas were in the majors together. The table compares 2,246 games of Fred Clarke with 1,470 of Roy Thomas across 21 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Roy Thomas comes out ahead, it is in walks (1,042 to 875) and on-base percentage (.413 to .386). At the plate, Fred Clarke walked more often than struck out (875 walks, 511 strikeouts), and Roy Thomas walked more often than struck out (1,042 walks, 521 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Fred Clarke's hits: 67 of 2,678 for Fred Clarke, 7 of 1,537 for Roy Thomas.
Fred Clarke vs Roy Thomas: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Roy Thomas?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fred Clarke leads Roy Thomas in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Roy Thomas hit more home runs?
- Fred Clarke, with 67 to Roy Thomas's 7.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Fred Clarke, with .814 to Roy Thomas's .747.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Fred Clarke, with .312 to Roy Thomas's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Fred Clarke, with 2,678 to Roy Thomas's 1,537.