Al Spalding vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
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 compiled 251 wins and 248 strikeouts; Vic Willis put up 249 wins and 1,651 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Al Spalding | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 251 | 249 |
| Losses | 65 | 205 |
| Games | 347 | 513 |
| Games Started | 325 | 471 |
| Complete Games | 279 | 388 |
| Shutouts | 24 | 50 |
| Saves | 13 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 248 | 1,651 |
| Walks | 164 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,280 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 15 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,886 | 3,996 |
| ERA | 2.13 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 0.77 | 3.72 |
| BB/9 | 0.51 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Spalding leads Vic Willis 8,952 to 6,893 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,279 vs 530 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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.