Amos Rusie vs Al Spalding: Career Stats Comparison
Amos Rusie has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Amos Rusie played 1889–1901 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
Amos Rusie (1889–1901) and Al Spalding (1871–1878) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Amos Rusie finished with 246 wins and 1,950 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 Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games? Al Spalding, with 251 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Amos Rusie, with 1,950 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP? Al Spalding, with 1.19 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Amos Rusie, with 3,778.2 to Al Spalding's 2,886.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Amos Rusie, with 30 to Al Spalding's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Amos Rusie, with 43,707 career Pitcher PIV to Al Spalding's 8,952.
Amos Rusie
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 | Amos Rusie | Al Spalding |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 246 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 65 |
| Games | Leads: 463 | 347 |
| Games Started | Leads: 427 | 325 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 393 | 279 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 30 | 24 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,950 | 248 |
| Walks not scored | 1,707 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,389 | 3,280 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 15 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,778.2 | 2,886.1 |
| ERA | 3.07 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.64 | 0.77 |
| BB/9 | 4.07 | Leads: 0.51 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Amos Rusie outpaces Al Spalding 43,707 to 8,952 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,371 PIV per season to 1,279, across 10 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).
Amos Rusie — 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, Amos Rusie leads in strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Al Spalding owns wins, ERA, and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Amos Rusie. PIV agrees: Amos Rusie grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Amos Rusie and Al Spalding careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Al Spalding's ended in 1878, and Amos Rusie debuted in 1889. The two careers are close in length, 463 games for Amos Rusie and 347 for Al Spalding across 10 and 7 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Amos Rusie struck out 4.64 and walked 4.07 per nine innings; Al Spalding struck out 0.77 and walked 0.51. Both had the same role: Amos Rusie was mainly a starter (427 starts in 463 games); Al Spalding was mainly a starter (325 starts in 347 games). In WHIP, Al Spalding's 1.19 beats Amos Rusie's 1.35.
Amos Rusie vs Al Spalding: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Amos Rusie or Al Spalding?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Amos Rusie leads Al Spalding in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games?
- Al Spalding, with 251 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Amos Rusie, with 1,950 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Al Spalding, with 1.19 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.