John Clarkson vs Amos Rusie: Career Stats Comparison
John Clarkson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Clarkson played 1882–1894 as a pitcher; Amos Rusie played 1889–1901 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 Amos Rusie (1889–1901) — both debuted in the 1880s. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Amos Rusie finished with 246 wins and 1,950 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? John Clarkson, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? John Clarkson, with 2.81 to Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games? John Clarkson, with 328 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Amos Rusie's 1,950.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Clarkson, with 1.21 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.
- How many innings did each pitch? John Clarkson 4,536.1, Amos Rusie 3,778.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Clarkson, with 37 to Amos Rusie's 30.
John Clarkson
Amos Rusie
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 | Amos Rusie |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 328 | 246 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 174 |
| Games not scored | 531 | 463 |
| Games Started not scored | 518 | 427 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 485 | 393 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 30 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,978 | 1,950 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 1,707 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 3,389 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,536.1 | 3,778.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.81 | 3.07 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | 3.92 | Leads: 4.64 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.36 | 4.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Amos Rusie leads John Clarkson 43,707 to 36,438 — driven by per-season impact — 4,371 PIV per season to 3,036 — rather than by longevity, since Amos Rusie played 10 seasons to John Clarkson's 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)
Amos Rusie — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
John Clarkson leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Amos Rusie leads 1: strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Clarkson. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Amos Rusie higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Clarkson and Amos Rusie careers compare
John Clarkson and Amos Rusie were active at the same time between 1889 and 1894. With 531 games against 463 across 12 and 10 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Amos Rusie's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (4.64 to 3.92). By rate, John Clarkson struck out 3.92 and walked 2.36 per nine innings; Amos Rusie struck out 4.64 and walked 4.07. John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games), and Amos Rusie was mainly a starter (427 starts in 463 games). John Clarkson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.21 WHIP to Amos Rusie's 1.35.
John Clarkson vs Amos Rusie: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Amos Rusie?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Clarkson leads Amos Rusie in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Clarkson, with 2.81 to Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games?
- John Clarkson, with 328 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Amos Rusie's 1,950.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Clarkson, with 1.21 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.