Pud Galvin vs Tim Keefe: Career Stats Comparison

Pud Galvin has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Pud Galvin played 1875–1892 as a pitcher; Tim Keefe played 1880–1893 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

Pud Galvin (1875–1892) and Tim Keefe (1880–1893) — breaking in during the 1870s and the 1880s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pud Galvin compiled 365 wins and 1,807 strikeouts; Tim Keefe put up 342 wins and 2,564 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Tim Keefe, with 2.63 to Pud Galvin's 2.85.
  • Who won more games? Pud Galvin, with 365 to Tim Keefe's 342.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to Pud Galvin's 1,807.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Pud Galvin's 1.19.
  • Who pitched more innings? Pud Galvin, with 6,003 to Tim Keefe's 5,049.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Pud Galvin, with 57 to Tim Keefe's 39.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Keefe, with 58,200 career Pitcher PIV to Pud Galvin's 27,907.
Leads Pud Galvin 7 of 11 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Tim Keefe +30,293
Read the verdict ↓

Pud Galvin

Pitcher · 1875–1892
Wins
365
Losses
310
Strikeouts
1,807
ERA
2.85
WHIP
1.19
IP
6,003
View Pud Galvin's full profile →

Tim Keefe

Pitcher · 1880–1893
Wins
342
Losses
225
Strikeouts
2,564
ERA
2.63
WHIP
1.12
IP
5,049
View Tim Keefe's full profile →

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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Pud Galvin vs Tim Keefe: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Pud Galvin Tim Keefe
Wins Leads: 365 342
Losses 310 225
Games Leads: 705 600
Games Started Leads: 688 594
Complete Games Leads: 646 554
Shutouts Leads: 57 39
Saves 2 2
Strikeouts 1,807 Leads: 2,564
Walks 745 1,233
Hits Allowed 6,405 4,438
Home Runs Allowed 121 75
Innings Pitched Leads: 6,003 5,049
ERA 2.85 Leads: 2.63
WHIP 1.19 Leads: 1.12
K/9 2.71 Leads: 4.57
BB/9 Leads: 1.12 2.20

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Keefe outpaces Pud Galvin 58,200 to 27,907 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,880 vs 1,642 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Pud Galvin
27,907
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,642 per season (17 seasons)
Tim Keefe
58,200
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,880 per season (15 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Pud Galvin — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

18841.99 ERA46-22, 369 K in 636 IP
18792.28 ERA37-27, 136 K in 593 IP
18812.37 ERA28-24, 136 K in 474 IP

Tim Keefe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

18851.57 ERA32-13, 227 K in 400 IP
18881.74 ERA35-12, 335 K in 434 IP
18842.25 ERA37-17, 334 K in 483 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Tim Keefe leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Pud Galvin owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Keefe. PIV agrees: Tim Keefe grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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Pud Galvin vs Tim Keefe: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Pud Galvin or Tim Keefe?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Pud Galvin leads Tim Keefe in 7 of 11 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Tim Keefe, with 2.63 to Pud Galvin's 2.85.
Who won more games?
Pud Galvin, with 365 to Tim Keefe's 342.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to Pud Galvin's 1,807.
Who had the better WHIP?
Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Pud Galvin's 1.19.