Tim Keefe vs Al Spalding: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Keefe 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). Tim Keefe played 1880–1893 as a pitcher; Al Spalding played 1871–1878 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
Tim Keefe (1880–1893) and Al Spalding (1871–1878) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Keefe finished with 342 wins and 2,564 strikeouts; Al Spalding finished with 251 wins and 248 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Tim Keefe's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Tim Keefe, with 342 to Al Spalding's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Al Spalding's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Tim Keefe, with 5,049.2 to Al Spalding's 2,886.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Keefe, with 39 to Al Spalding's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Keefe, with 58,200 career Pitcher PIV to Al Spalding's 8,952.
Tim Keefe
Al Spalding
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 1880s and the 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tim Keefe | Al Spalding |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 342 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 225 | 65 |
| Games | Leads: 600 | 347 |
| Games Started | Leads: 594 | 325 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 554 | 279 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 39 | 24 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,564 | 248 |
| Walks not scored | 1,233 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,438 | 3,280 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 15 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,049.2 | 2,886.1 |
| ERA | 2.63 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.57 | 0.77 |
| BB/9 | 2.20 | Leads: 0.51 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Keefe outpaces Al Spalding 58,200 to 8,952 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,880 PIV per season to 1,279, across 15 seasons to 7. 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).
Tim Keefe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Al Spalding — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tim Keefe leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Al Spalding owns ERA. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Tim Keefe and Al Spalding careers compare
No season is shared: Al Spalding played 1871–1878, Tim Keefe 1880–1893. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Tim Keefe appeared in 600 games to Al Spalding's 347. The green cells for Al Spalding are saves (13 to 2), ERA (2.13 to 2.63), and walks per nine (0.51 to 2.20). The per-nine rows read 4.57 strikeouts and 2.20 walks for Tim Keefe, 0.77 and 0.51 for Al Spalding. Tim Keefe was mainly a starter (594 starts in 600 games), and Al Spalding was mainly a starter (325 starts in 347 games). Tim Keefe allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.12 WHIP to Al Spalding's 1.19.
Tim Keefe vs Al Spalding: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tim Keefe or Al Spalding?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Keefe leads Al Spalding in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Tim Keefe's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Tim Keefe, with 342 to Al Spalding's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tim Keefe, with 2,564 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Al Spalding's 1.19.