John Clarkson vs Kid Nichols: Career Stats Comparison
John Clarkson and Kid Nichols are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Clarkson played 1882–1894 as a pitcher; Kid Nichols played 1890–1906 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
John Clarkson (1882–1894) and Kid Nichols (1890–1906) — they debuted in the 1880s and the 1890s respectively and share 5 seasons. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Kid Nichols finished with 362 wins and 1,881 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? John Clarkson, with 2.81 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games? Kid Nichols, with 362 to John Clarkson's 328.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Kid Nichols's 1,881.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Clarkson, with 1.21 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
- How many innings did each pitch? John Clarkson 4,536.1, Kid Nichols 5,067.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kid Nichols, with 48 to John Clarkson's 37.
John Clarkson
Kid Nichols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | John Clarkson | Kid Nichols |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 328 | Leads: 362 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 208 |
| Games not scored | 531 | 621 |
| Games Started not scored | 518 | 562 |
| Complete Games | 485 | Leads: 532 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 48 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,978 | 1,881 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 1,272 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 4,929 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 156 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,536.1 | 5,067.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.81 | 2.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.92 | 3.34 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 2.26 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kid Nichols outpaces John Clarkson 64,461 to 36,438 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,297 PIV per season to 3,036, across 15 seasons to 12. 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 ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
John Clarkson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
John Clarkson and Kid Nichols split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Kid Nichols higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Clarkson and Kid Nichols careers compare
John Clarkson and Kid Nichols were active at the same time between 1890 and 1894. With 531 games against 621 across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Kid Nichols's edges on the table are wins (362 to 328), complete games (532 to 485), and shutouts (48 to 37). The per-nine rows read 3.92 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for John Clarkson, 3.34 and 2.26 for Kid Nichols. Both had the same role: John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games); Kid Nichols was mainly a starter (562 starts in 621 games). John Clarkson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.21 WHIP to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
John Clarkson vs Kid Nichols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Kid Nichols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Clarkson, with 2.81 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games?
- Kid Nichols, with 362 to John Clarkson's 328.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Kid Nichols's 1,881.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Clarkson, with 1.21 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.