Old Hoss Radbourn vs Al Spalding: Career Stats Comparison
Old Hoss Radbourn 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). Old Hoss Radbourn played 1880–1891 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
Old Hoss Radbourn (1880–1891) and Al Spalding (1871–1878) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Old Hoss Radbourn finished with 310 wins and 1,830 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 Old Hoss Radbourn's 2.68.
- Who won more games? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 310 to Al Spalding's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1,830 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1.15 to Al Spalding's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 4,527.1 to Al Spalding's 2,886.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 35 to Al Spalding's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 21,218 career Pitcher PIV to Al Spalding's 8,952.
Old Hoss Radbourn
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 | Old Hoss Radbourn | Al Spalding |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 310 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 194 | 65 |
| Games | Leads: 527 | 347 |
| Games Started | Leads: 502 | 325 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 488 | 279 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 24 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,830 | 248 |
| Walks not scored | 875 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,328 | 3,280 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 118 | 15 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,527.1 | 2,886.1 |
| ERA | 2.68 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.64 | 0.77 |
| BB/9 | 1.74 | Leads: 0.51 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Old Hoss Radbourn outpaces Al Spalding 21,218 to 8,952 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,929 PIV per season to 1,279, across 11 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).
Old Hoss Radbourn — 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, Old Hoss Radbourn 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 Old Hoss Radbourn. PIV agrees: Old Hoss Radbourn grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Old Hoss Radbourn and Al Spalding careers compare
No season is shared: Al Spalding played 1871–1878, Old Hoss Radbourn 1880–1891. The table compares 527 games of Old Hoss Radbourn with 347 of Al Spalding across 11 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Al Spalding are saves (13 to 2), ERA (2.13 to 2.68), and walks per nine (0.51 to 1.74). By rate, Old Hoss Radbourn struck out 3.64 and walked 1.74 per nine innings; Al Spalding struck out 0.77 and walked 0.51. Both had the same role: Old Hoss Radbourn was mainly a starter (502 starts in 527 games); Al Spalding was mainly a starter (325 starts in 347 games).
Old Hoss Radbourn vs Al Spalding: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Old Hoss Radbourn or Al Spalding?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Old Hoss Radbourn leads Al Spalding in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 2.68.
- Who won more games?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 310 to Al Spalding's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1,830 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1.15 to Al Spalding's 1.19.