Al Spalding vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Vic Willis 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). Al Spalding played 1871–1878 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
Al Spalding (1871–1878) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) — breaking in during the 1870s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Al Spalding finished with 251 wins and 248 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? Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Vic Willis's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Al Spalding, with 251 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Vic Willis, with 1,651 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP? Al Spalding, with 1.19 to Vic Willis's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Vic Willis, with 3,996.0 to Al Spalding's 2,886.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vic Willis, with 50 to Al Spalding's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Al Spalding, with 8,952 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
Al Spalding
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 1870s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Al Spalding | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 249 |
| Losses not scored | 65 | 205 |
| Games | 347 | Leads: 513 |
| Games Started | 325 | Leads: 471 |
| Complete Games | 279 | Leads: 388 |
| Shutouts | 24 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | Leads: 13 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 248 | Leads: 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 164 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,280 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 15 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,886.1 | Leads: 3,996.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 0.77 | Leads: 3.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 0.51 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Spalding leads Vic Willis 8,952 to 6,893 — driven by per-season impact — 1,279 PIV per season to 530 — rather than by longevity, since Al Spalding played 7 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).
Al Spalding — 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, Al Spalding leads in wins, ERA, and WHIP, while Vic Willis owns strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Spalding. PIV agrees: Al Spalding grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Al Spalding and Vic Willis careers compare
No season is shared: Al Spalding played 1871–1878, Vic Willis 1898–1910. The two careers are close in length, 347 games for Al Spalding and 513 for Vic Willis across 7 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 0.77 strikeouts and 0.51 walks for Al Spalding, 3.72 and 2.73 for Vic Willis. Both had the same role: Al Spalding was mainly a starter (325 starts in 347 games); Vic Willis was mainly a starter (471 starts in 513 games). In WHIP, Al Spalding's 1.19 beats Vic Willis's 1.21.
Al Spalding vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Al Spalding or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vic Willis leads Al Spalding in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Al Spalding, with 2.13 to Vic Willis's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Al Spalding, with 251 to Vic Willis's 249.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Vic Willis, with 1,651 to Al Spalding's 248.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Al Spalding, with 1.19 to Vic Willis's 1.21.