John Clarkson vs Jim Whitney: Career Stats Comparison
John Clarkson has the better career line of the two, leading 5 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; Jim Whitney played 1881–1890 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 Jim Whitney (1881–1890) — both debuted in the 1880s. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Jim Whitney finished with 191 wins and 1,571 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? John Clarkson, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? John Clarkson, with 2.81 to Jim Whitney's 2.97.
- Who won more games? John Clarkson, with 328 to Jim Whitney's 191.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Jim Whitney's 1,571.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Whitney, with 1.15 to John Clarkson's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? John Clarkson 4,536.1, Jim Whitney 3,496.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Clarkson, with 37 to Jim Whitney's 26.
John Clarkson
Jim Whitney
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 | Jim Whitney |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 328 | 191 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 204 |
| Games not scored | 531 | 413 |
| Games Started not scored | 518 | 396 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 485 | 377 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 26 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,978 | 1,571 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 411 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 3,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,536.1 | 3,496.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.81 | 2.97 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | 3.92 | Leads: 4.04 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 1.06 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Whitney leads John Clarkson 42,671 to 36,438 — driven by per-season impact — 4,267 PIV per season to 3,036 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Whitney 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)
Jim Whitney — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
John Clarkson leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Jim Whitney leads 3: WHIP, strikeouts per nine, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Clarkson. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Jim Whitney higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Clarkson and Jim Whitney careers compare
From 1882 through 1890, John Clarkson and Jim Whitney were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 531 games for John Clarkson and 413 for Jim Whitney across 12 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Whitney comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.15 to 1.21), strikeouts per nine (4.04 to 3.92), and walks per nine (1.06 to 2.36). By rate, John Clarkson struck out 3.92 and walked 2.36 per nine innings; Jim Whitney struck out 4.04 and walked 1.06.
John Clarkson vs Jim Whitney: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Jim Whitney?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Clarkson leads Jim Whitney in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Clarkson, with 2.81 to Jim Whitney's 2.97.
- Who won more games?
- John Clarkson, with 328 to Jim Whitney's 191.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Jim Whitney's 1,571.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Whitney, with 1.15 to John Clarkson's 1.21.