Addie Joss vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Vic Willis 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). Addie Joss played 1902–1910 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
Addie Joss (1902–1910) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Addie Joss finished with 160 wins and 920 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? Addie Joss, with 1.89 to Vic Willis's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Vic Willis, with 249 to Addie Joss's 160.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Vic Willis, with 1,651 to Addie Joss's 920.
- Who had the better WHIP? Addie Joss, with 0.97 to Vic Willis's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Vic Willis, with 3,996.0 to Addie Joss's 2,327.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vic Willis, with 50 to Addie Joss's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Addie Joss, with 29,177 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
Addie Joss
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 1900s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Addie Joss | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 160 | Leads: 249 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 205 |
| Games | 286 | Leads: 513 |
| Games Started | 260 | Leads: 471 |
| Complete Games | 234 | Leads: 388 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | 920 | Leads: 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 364 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,888 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 19 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,327.0 | Leads: 3,996.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.89 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 3.56 | Leads: 3.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.41 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Addie Joss outpaces Vic Willis 29,177 to 6,893 — driven by per-season impact — 3,242 PIV per season to 530 — rather than by longevity, since Addie Joss played 9 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).
Addie Joss — 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, Vic Willis leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Addie Joss owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Vic Willis. Note that PIV actually grades Addie Joss ahead, which means Vic Willis's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Addie Joss and Vic Willis careers compare
Addie Joss and Vic Willis were active at the same time between 1902 and 1910. The table compares 286 games of Addie Joss with 513 of Vic Willis across 9 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Addie Joss comes out ahead, it is in ERA (1.89 to 2.63), WHIP (0.97 to 1.21), and walks per nine (1.41 to 2.73). The per-nine rows read 3.56 strikeouts and 1.41 walks for Addie Joss, 3.72 and 2.73 for Vic Willis. Both had the same role: Addie Joss was mainly a starter (260 starts in 286 games); Vic Willis was mainly a starter (471 starts in 513 games).
Addie Joss vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Addie Joss or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vic Willis leads Addie Joss in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Addie Joss, with 1.89 to Vic Willis's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Vic Willis, with 249 to Addie Joss's 160.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Vic Willis, with 1,651 to Addie Joss's 920.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Addie Joss, with 0.97 to Vic Willis's 1.21.