Willie Foster vs Dazzy Vance: Career Stats Comparison
Dazzy Vance 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). Willie Foster played ?–1937 as a pitcher; Dazzy Vance played 1915–1935 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
Willie Foster (?–1937) and Dazzy Vance (1915–1935) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts; Dazzy Vance finished with 197 wins and 2,045 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Dazzy Vance's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Dazzy Vance, with 197 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dazzy Vance, with 2,045 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Dazzy Vance's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Dazzy Vance, with 2,966.2 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Willie Foster, with 34 to Dazzy Vance's 29.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dazzy Vance, with 70,553 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Foster's 41,672.
Willie Foster
Dazzy Vance
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Foster | Dazzy Vance |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 125 | Leads: 197 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 140 |
| Games | 262 | Leads: 442 |
| Games Started | 185 | Leads: 347 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 216 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 34 | 29 |
| Saves | Leads: 14 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 1,062 | Leads: 2,045 |
| Walks not scored | 522 | 840 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,397 | 2,809 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 132 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,665.0 | Leads: 2,966.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.66 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 5.74 | Leads: 6.20 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 2.55 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dazzy Vance outpaces Willie Foster 70,553 to 41,672 — driven by per-season impact — 3,920 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Dazzy Vance played 18 seasons to Willie Foster's 19. 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).
Willie Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dazzy Vance — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dazzy Vance leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Willie Foster owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dazzy Vance. PIV agrees: Dazzy Vance grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Foster and Dazzy Vance careers compare
Dazzy Vance (1915–1935) was finished before Willie Foster (?–1937) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Foster appeared in 262 games to Dazzy Vance's 442. The green cells for Willie Foster are shutouts (34 to 29), saves (14 to 11), and ERA (2.66 to 3.24). The per-nine rows read 5.74 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Willie Foster, 6.20 and 2.55 for Dazzy Vance. Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games), and Dazzy Vance was mainly a starter (347 starts in 442 games). Willie Foster allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.15 WHIP to Dazzy Vance's 1.23.
Willie Foster vs Dazzy Vance: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Foster or Dazzy Vance?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dazzy Vance leads Willie Foster in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Dazzy Vance's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Dazzy Vance, with 197 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dazzy Vance, with 2,045 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Dazzy Vance's 1.23.