Amos Rusie vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Vic Willis 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). Amos Rusie played 1889–1901 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
Amos Rusie (1889–1901) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Amos Rusie finished with 246 wins and 1,950 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 Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games? Vic Willis, with 249 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Amos Rusie, with 1,950 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP? Vic Willis, with 1.21 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Vic Willis, with 3,996.0 to Amos Rusie's 3,778.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vic Willis, with 50 to Amos Rusie's 30.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Amos Rusie, with 43,707 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
Amos Rusie
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 | Amos Rusie | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 246 | Leads: 249 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 205 |
| Games | 463 | Leads: 513 |
| Games Started | 427 | Leads: 471 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 393 | 388 |
| Shutouts | 30 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,950 | 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 1,707 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,389 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,778.2 | Leads: 3,996.0 |
| ERA | 3.07 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.64 | 3.72 |
| BB/9 | 4.07 | Leads: 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Amos Rusie outpaces Vic Willis 43,707 to 6,893 — driven by per-season impact — 4,371 PIV per season to 530 — rather than by longevity, since Amos Rusie played 10 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).
Amos Rusie — 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, Vic Willis leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Amos Rusie owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Vic Willis. Note that PIV actually grades Amos Rusie ahead, which means Vic Willis's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Amos Rusie and Vic Willis careers compare
The careers of Amos Rusie (1889–1901) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) overlapped from 1898 to 1901, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 463 games for Amos Rusie and 513 for Vic Willis across 10 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Amos Rusie comes out ahead, it is in complete games (393 to 388), strikeouts (1,950 to 1,651), and strikeouts per nine (4.64 to 3.72). By rate, Amos Rusie struck out 4.64 and walked 4.07 per nine innings; Vic Willis struck out 3.72 and walked 2.73.
Amos Rusie vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Amos Rusie or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vic Willis leads Amos Rusie in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Vic Willis, with 2.63 to Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games?
- Vic Willis, with 249 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Amos Rusie, with 1,950 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Vic Willis, with 1.21 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.