John Clarkson vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
John Clarkson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Vic Willis played 1898–1910 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 Vic Willis (1898–1910) — 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; Vic Willis finished with 249 wins and 1,651 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Vic Willis, with 2.63 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games? John Clarkson, with 328 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? John Clarkson, with 4,536.1 to Vic Willis's 3,996.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vic Willis, with 50 to John Clarkson's 37.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Clarkson, with 36,438 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
John Clarkson
Vic Willis
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 | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 328 | 249 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 205 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 513 |
| Games Started | Leads: 518 | 471 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 485 | 388 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,978 | 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,536.1 | 3,996.0 |
| ERA | 2.81 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.92 | 3.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.36 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Clarkson outpaces Vic Willis 36,438 to 6,893 — driven by per-season impact — 2,803 PIV per season to 530 — rather than by longevity, since John Clarkson played 13 seasons to Vic Willis's 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)
Vic Willis — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Clarkson leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Vic Willis owns ERA. 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 Vic Willis careers compare
No season is shared: John Clarkson played 1882–1894, Vic Willis 1898–1910. The two careers are close in length, 531 games for John Clarkson and 513 for Vic Willis across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Vic Willis are shutouts (50 to 37), saves (11 to 5), and ERA (2.63 to 2.81). The per-nine rows read 3.92 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for John Clarkson, 3.72 and 2.73 for Vic Willis. John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games), and Vic Willis was mainly a starter (471 starts in 513 games). In WHIP, John Clarkson's 1.21 beats Vic Willis's 1.21.
John Clarkson vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Clarkson leads Vic Willis in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Vic Willis, with 2.63 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games?
- John Clarkson, with 328 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Clarkson, with 1,978 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.21.