John Clarkson vs Al Spalding: 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; Al Spalding played 1871–1878 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 Al Spalding (1871–1878) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Al Spalding finished with 251 wins and 248 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Al Spalding, with 2.13 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games? John Clarkson, with 328 to Al Spalding's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP? Al Spalding, with 1.19 to John Clarkson's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? John Clarkson, with 4,536.1 to Al Spalding's 2,886.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Clarkson, with 37 to Al Spalding's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Clarkson, with 36,438 career Pitcher PIV to Al Spalding's 8,952.
John Clarkson
Al Spalding
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, and the 1880s and the 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Clarkson | Al Spalding |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 328 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 65 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 347 |
| Games Started | Leads: 518 | 325 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 485 | 279 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 24 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,978 | 248 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 3,280 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 15 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,536.1 | 2,886.1 |
| ERA | 2.81 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.92 | 0.77 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 0.51 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Clarkson outpaces Al Spalding 36,438 to 8,952 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,803 PIV per season to 1,279, across 13 seasons to 7. 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)
Al Spalding — 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 Al Spalding 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 Al Spalding careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Al Spalding's ended in 1878, and John Clarkson debuted in 1882. The table compares 531 games of John Clarkson with 347 of Al Spalding across 13 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Al Spalding's edges on the table are saves (13 to 5), ERA (2.13 to 2.81), and WHIP (1.19 to 1.21). By rate, John Clarkson struck out 3.92 and walked 2.36 per nine innings; Al Spalding struck out 0.77 and walked 0.51. Both had the same role: John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games); Al Spalding was mainly a starter (325 starts in 347 games).
John Clarkson vs Al Spalding: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Al Spalding?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Clarkson leads Al Spalding in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Al Spalding, with 2.13 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games?
- John Clarkson, with 328 to Al Spalding's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Al Spalding, with 1.19 to John Clarkson's 1.21.