John Clarkson vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
John Clarkson has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 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 Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games? John Clarkson, with 328 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to John Clarkson's 1,978.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to John Clarkson's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? John Clarkson, with 4,536.1 to Rube Waddell's 2,961.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to John Clarkson's 37.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career Pitcher PIV to John Clarkson's 36,438.
John Clarkson
Rube Waddell
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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Clarkson | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 328 | 193 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 143 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 407 |
| Games Started | Leads: 518 | 340 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 485 | 261 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 5 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 1,978 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,536.1 | 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 2.81 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 3.92 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.36 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces John Clarkson 69,450 to 36,438 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,961 PIV per season to 2,803, across 14 seasons to 13. 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)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rube Waddell leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while John Clarkson owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rube Waddell. PIV agrees: Rube Waddell 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 Rube Waddell careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: John Clarkson's ended in 1894, and Rube Waddell debuted in 1897. The two careers are close in length, 531 games for John Clarkson and 407 for Rube Waddell across 13 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 3.92 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for John Clarkson, 7.04 and 2.44 for Rube Waddell. Both had the same role: John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games); Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games). Rube Waddell allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to John Clarkson's 1.21.
John Clarkson vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Clarkson leads Rube Waddell in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games?
- John Clarkson, with 328 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to John Clarkson's 1,978.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to John Clarkson's 1.21.