John Clarkson vs Old Hoss Radbourn: Career Stats Comparison
John Clarkson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Clarkson played 1882–1894 as a pitcher; Old Hoss Radbourn played 1880–1891 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 Old Hoss Radbourn (1880–1891) — both came up during the 1880s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Old Hoss Radbourn finished with 310 wins and 1,830 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 2.68 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games? John Clarkson, with 328 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 310.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 1,830.
- Who had the better WHIP? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1.15 to John Clarkson's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? John Clarkson, with 4,536.1 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 4,527.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Clarkson, with 37 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Clarkson, with 36,438 career Pitcher PIV to Old Hoss Radbourn's 21,218.
John Clarkson
Old Hoss Radbourn
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. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. 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 | Old Hoss Radbourn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 328 | 310 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 194 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 527 |
| Games Started | Leads: 518 | 502 |
| Complete Games | 485 | Leads: 488 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 5 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,978 | 1,830 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 875 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 4,328 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 118 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,536.1 | 4,527.1 |
| ERA | 2.81 | Leads: 2.68 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.92 | 3.64 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 1.74 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Clarkson outpaces Old Hoss Radbourn 36,438 to 21,218 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,803 PIV per season to 1,929, across 13 seasons to 11. 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 ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
John Clarkson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Old Hoss Radbourn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Clarkson leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Old Hoss Radbourn owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Clarkson. PIV agrees: John Clarkson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Clarkson and Old Hoss Radbourn careers compare
John Clarkson and Old Hoss Radbourn were active at the same time between 1882 and 1891. With 531 games against 527 across 13 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Old Hoss Radbourn comes out ahead, it is in complete games (488 to 485), ERA (2.68 to 2.81), and WHIP (1.15 to 1.21). The per-nine rows read 3.92 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for John Clarkson, 3.64 and 1.74 for Old Hoss Radbourn. John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games), and Old Hoss Radbourn was mainly a starter (502 starts in 527 games). In WHIP, Old Hoss Radbourn's 1.15 beats John Clarkson's 1.21.
John Clarkson vs Old Hoss Radbourn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Old Hoss Radbourn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Clarkson leads Old Hoss Radbourn in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 2.68 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games?
- John Clarkson, with 328 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 310.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 1,830.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1.15 to John Clarkson's 1.21.