Old Hoss Radbourn vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Old Hoss Radbourn has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; 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
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 finished with 310 wins and 1,830 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? Vic Willis, with 2.63 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 2.68.
- Who won more games? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 310 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1,830 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1.15 to Vic Willis's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 4,527.1 to Vic Willis's 3,996.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vic Willis, with 50 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Old Hoss Radbourn, with 21,218 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
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. 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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Old Hoss Radbourn | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 310 | 249 |
| Losses not scored | 194 | 205 |
| Games | Leads: 527 | 513 |
| Games Started | Leads: 502 | 471 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 488 | 388 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,830 | 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 875 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,328 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 118 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,527.1 | 3,996.0 |
| ERA | 2.68 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 3.64 | Leads: 3.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.74 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Old Hoss Radbourn outpaces Vic Willis 21,218 to 6,893 — driven by per-season impact — 1,929 PIV per season to 530 — rather than by longevity, since Old Hoss Radbourn played 11 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).
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.
Related Matchups
How the Old Hoss Radbourn and Vic Willis careers compare
No season is shared: Old Hoss Radbourn played 1880–1891, Vic Willis 1898–1910. The two careers are close in length, 527 games for Old Hoss Radbourn and 513 for Vic Willis across 11 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Vic Willis are shutouts (50 to 35), saves (11 to 2), and ERA (2.63 to 2.68). By rate, Old Hoss Radbourn struck out 3.64 and walked 1.74 per nine innings; Vic Willis struck out 3.72 and walked 2.73. Old Hoss Radbourn was mainly a starter (502 starts in 527 games), and Vic Willis was mainly a starter (471 starts in 513 games).
Old Hoss Radbourn vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Old Hoss Radbourn or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Old Hoss Radbourn leads Vic Willis in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Vic Willis, with 2.63 to Old Hoss Radbourn's 2.68.
- Who won more games?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 310 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1,830 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Old Hoss Radbourn, with 1.15 to Vic Willis's 1.21.