Gwynn Edged Clark for the 1989 Batting Crown

On November 4, 2026, the final-day batting race between Tony Gwynn and Will Clark remains a memorable chapter of the 1989 season. Clark entered the San Francisco Giants’ closing set versus San Diego with a .333 average, just ahead of Gwynn at .332. The Giants had already secured the National League West title, while Gwynn was pursuing his third straight batting crown.

Gwynn went 3-for-4 on September 30 to draw close. In the season finale, Clark grounded out in the first inning, then Gwynn singled in the bottom half. Gwynn finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs as San Diego won 3-0; Clark collected one hit in four at-bats. The final averages gave Gwynn the title, .336 to .333.

Clark’s season was still the best of his young career. He recorded 196 hits, 23 home runs, 111 RBIs, a .407 on-base percentage and a .546 slugging percentage. He finished second in National League MVP voting to Giants teammate Kevin Mitchell.

San Francisco won 92 games and qualified for a best-of-seven NL matchup with the Chicago Cubs. Clark went 4-for-4 in Game 1, sending two balls out of the park, one a bases-loaded drive against Greg Maddux, while knocking in six runs. He batted .650 in the five-game series as the Giants advanced to their first World Series since 1962. Gwynn took the batting title; Clark helped win the pennant.