Silver King vs Kid Nichols: Career Stats Comparison
Silver King (1886–1897) and Kid Nichols (1890–1906) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Silver King compiled 203 wins and 1,222 strikeouts; Kid Nichols put up 362 wins and 1,881 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Silver King
Kid Nichols
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 | Silver King | Kid Nichols |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 203 | 362 |
| Losses | 152 | 208 |
| Games | 397 | 621 |
| Games Started | 370 | 562 |
| Complete Games | 328 | 532 |
| Shutouts | 19 | 48 |
| Saves | 6 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | 1,222 | 1,881 |
| Walks | 967 | 1,272 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,098 | 4,929 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 69 | 156 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,180 | 5,067 |
| ERA | 3.18 | 2.96 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 3.46 | 3.34 |
| BB/9 | 2.74 | 2.26 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kid Nichols outpaces Silver King 64,461 to 25,621 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,029 vs 2,329 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).
Silver King — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kid Nichols leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Silver King owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kid Nichols. PIV agrees: Kid Nichols grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.