Old Hoss Radbourn vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Old Hoss Radbourn (1880–1891) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Old Hoss Radbourn compiled 310 wins and 1,830 strikeouts; Vic Willis put up 249 wins and 1,651 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Old Hoss Radbourn
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Old Hoss Radbourn | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 310 | 249 |
| Losses | 194 | 205 |
| Games | 527 | 513 |
| Games Started | 502 | 471 |
| Complete Games | 488 | 388 |
| Shutouts | 35 | 50 |
| Saves | 2 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 1,830 | 1,651 |
| Walks | 875 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,328 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 118 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,527 | 3,996 |
| ERA | 2.68 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 3.64 | 3.72 |
| BB/9 | 1.74 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Old Hoss Radbourn outpaces Vic Willis 21,218 to 6,893 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,929 vs 530 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).
Old Hoss Radbourn — 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, Old Hoss Radbourn 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 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.