Paul Skenes vs Al Spalding: Career Stats Comparison
Al Spalding 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). Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Al Spalding (1871–1878) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1870s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Al Spalding, with 251 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Paul Skenes, with 586 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Al Spalding's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Al Spalding, with 2,886.1 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Al Spalding, with 24 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Paul Skenes, with 14,331 career Pitcher PIV to Al Spalding's 8,952.
Paul Skenes
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 2020s and the 1870s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Al Spalding |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 65 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 347 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 325 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 279 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 586 | 248 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 3,280 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 15 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 2,886.1 |
| ERA | 2.62 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 0.77 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 0.51 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Skenes outpaces Al Spalding 14,331 to 8,952 — driven by per-season impact — 7,166 PIV per season to 1,279 — rather than by longevity, since Paul Skenes played 2 seasons to Al Spalding's 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).
Paul Skenes — 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, Paul Skenes leads in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Al Spalding owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Skenes. PIV agrees: Paul Skenes grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Skenes and Al Spalding careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Al Spalding's ended in 1878, and Paul Skenes debuted in 2024. Al Spalding has the far longer record, 347 games against 87 across 2 and 7 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are strikeouts (586 to 248), WHIP (1.01 to 1.19), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 0.77). The per-nine rows read 10.65 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Paul Skenes, 0.77 and 0.51 for Al Spalding. Both had the same role: Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games); Al Spalding was mainly a starter (325 starts in 347 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Paul Skenes vs Al Spalding: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Al Spalding?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Spalding leads Paul Skenes in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Al Spalding, with 251 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Paul Skenes, with 586 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Al Spalding's 1.19.