Pud Galvin vs Old Hoss Radbourn: Career Stats Comparison
Pud Galvin (1875–1892) and Old Hoss Radbourn (1880–1891) — 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; Old Hoss Radbourn put up 310 wins and 1,830 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Pud Galvin
Old Hoss Radbourn
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Pud Galvin | Old Hoss Radbourn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 365 | 310 |
| Losses | 310 | 194 |
| Games | 705 | 527 |
| Games Started | 688 | 502 |
| Complete Games | 646 | 488 |
| Shutouts | 57 | 35 |
| Saves | 2 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,807 | 1,830 |
| Walks | 745 | 875 |
| Hits Allowed | 6,405 | 4,328 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 121 | 118 |
| Innings Pitched | 6,003 | 4,527 |
| ERA | 2.85 | 2.68 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | 1.15 |
| K/9 | 2.71 | 3.64 |
| BB/9 | 1.12 | 1.74 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pud Galvin leads Old Hoss Radbourn 27,907 to 21,218 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,642 vs 1,929 per year). 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).
Pud Galvin — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Old Hoss Radbourn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Old Hoss Radbourn 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 Old Hoss Radbourn. Note that PIV actually grades Pud Galvin ahead, which means Old Hoss Radbourn's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.