Fred Clarke vs Zack Wheat: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Wheat has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Fred Clarke played 1894–1915 as a hitter; Zack Wheat played 1909–1927 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 Zack Wheat (1909–1927) — they broke in during the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Fred Clarke finished with 2,678 hits and 67 home runs; Zack Wheat finished with 2,884 hits and 132 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Zack Wheat, with 132 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS? Zack Wheat, with .817 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average? Zack Wheat, with .317 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits? Zack Wheat, with 2,884 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.
- Who drove in more runs? Zack Wheat, with 1,248 to Fred Clarke's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Fred Clarke, with 34,764 career PIV to Zack Wheat's 30,370.
- Who won more championships? Fred Clarke, with 1 World Series title to Zack Wheat's 0.
Fred Clarke
Zack Wheat
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Fred Clarke and Zack Wheat. 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 | Zack Wheat |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,246 | Leads: 2,410 |
| At-Bats | 8,584 | Leads: 9,106 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,622 | 1,289 |
| Hits | 2,678 | Leads: 2,884 |
| Doubles | 361 | Leads: 476 |
| Triples | Leads: 220 | 172 |
| Home Runs | 67 | Leads: 132 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,248 |
| Walks | Leads: 875 | 650 |
| Strikeouts | 511 | 572 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 509 | 205 |
| Batting Avg | .312 | Leads: .317 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .386 | .367 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .450 |
| OPS | .814 | Leads: .817 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fred Clarke leads Zack Wheat 34,764 to 30,370 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,655 vs 1,598 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
Zack Wheat — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Wheat leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Fred Clarke owns runs, stolen bases, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Wheat. Note that PIV actually grades Fred Clarke ahead, which means Zack Wheat's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fred Clarke vs Zack Wheat: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fred Clarke or Zack Wheat?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Wheat leads Fred Clarke in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Fred Clarke or Zack Wheat hit more home runs?
- Zack Wheat, with 132 to Fred Clarke's 67.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Zack Wheat, with .817 to Fred Clarke's .814.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Zack Wheat, with .317 to Fred Clarke's .312.
- Who had more hits?
- Zack Wheat, with 2,884 to Fred Clarke's 2,678.