Pud Galvin vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Pud Galvin 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). Pud Galvin played 1875–1892 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
Pud Galvin (1875–1892) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) — breaking in during the 1870s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pud Galvin finished with 365 wins and 1,807 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 Pud Galvin's 2.85.
- Who won more games? Pud Galvin, with 365 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pud Galvin, with 1,807 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pud Galvin, with 1.19 to Vic Willis's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Pud Galvin, with 6,003.1 to Vic Willis's 3,996.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pud Galvin, with 57 to Vic Willis's 50.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pud Galvin, with 27,907 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
Pud Galvin
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 1870s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pud Galvin | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 365 | 249 |
| Losses not scored | 310 | 205 |
| Games | Leads: 705 | 513 |
| Games Started | Leads: 688 | 471 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 646 | 388 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 57 | 50 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,807 | 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 745 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 6,405 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 121 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 6,003.1 | 3,996.0 |
| ERA | 2.85 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 3.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.12 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pud Galvin outpaces Vic Willis 27,907 to 6,893 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,642 PIV per season to 530, across 17 seasons to 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).
Pud Galvin — 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, Pud Galvin leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Vic Willis owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pud Galvin. PIV agrees: Pud Galvin grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pud Galvin and Vic Willis careers compare
No season is shared: Pud Galvin played 1875–1892, Vic Willis 1898–1910. The two careers are close in length, 705 games for Pud Galvin and 513 for Vic Willis across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Vic Willis are saves (11 to 2), ERA (2.63 to 2.85), and strikeouts per nine (3.72 to 2.71). The per-nine rows read 2.71 strikeouts and 1.12 walks for Pud Galvin, 3.72 and 2.73 for Vic Willis. Both had the same role: Pud Galvin was mainly a starter (688 starts in 705 games); Vic Willis was mainly a starter (471 starts in 513 games).
Pud Galvin vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pud Galvin or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pud Galvin leads Vic Willis in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Vic Willis, with 2.63 to Pud Galvin's 2.85.
- Who won more games?
- Pud Galvin, with 365 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pud Galvin, with 1,807 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pud Galvin, with 1.19 to Vic Willis's 1.21.