Pete Alexander vs Ted Lyons: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Alexander has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Pete Alexander played 1911–1930 as a pitcher; Ted Lyons played 1923–1946 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
Pete Alexander (1911–1930) and Ted Lyons (1923–1946) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pete Alexander finished with 373 wins and 2,198 strikeouts; Ted Lyons finished with 260 wins and 1,073 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pete Alexander, with 2.56 to Ted Lyons's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Pete Alexander, with 373 to Ted Lyons's 260.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pete Alexander, with 2,198 to Ted Lyons's 1,073.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pete Alexander, with 1.12 to Ted Lyons's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Pete Alexander, with 5,190.0 to Ted Lyons's 4,161.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pete Alexander, with 90 to Ted Lyons's 27.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pete Alexander, with 75,743 career Pitcher PIV to Ted Lyons's 8,642.
Pete Alexander
Ted Lyons
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 1910s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Alexander | Ted Lyons |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 260 |
| Losses not scored | 208 | 230 |
| Games | Leads: 696 | 594 |
| Games Started | Leads: 599 | 484 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 437 | 356 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 90 | 27 |
| Saves | Leads: 32 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,198 | 1,073 |
| Walks not scored | 951 | 1,121 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,868 | 4,489 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 164 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,190.0 | 4,161.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.56 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.81 | 2.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.65 | 2.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Alexander outpaces Ted Lyons 75,743 to 8,642 — driven by per-season impact — 3,607 PIV per season to 412 — rather than by longevity, since Pete Alexander played 21 seasons to Ted Lyons's 21. 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).
Pete Alexander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ted Lyons — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Alexander leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ted Lyons owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Alexander. PIV agrees: Pete Alexander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pete Alexander and Ted Lyons careers compare
The careers of Pete Alexander (1911–1930) and Ted Lyons (1923–1946) overlapped from 1923 to 1930, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 696 games against 594 across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Pete Alexander leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 3.81 strikeouts and 1.65 walks for Pete Alexander, 2.32 and 2.42 for Ted Lyons. Pete Alexander was mainly a starter (599 starts in 696 games), and Ted Lyons was mainly a starter (484 starts in 594 games). In WHIP, Pete Alexander's 1.12 beats Ted Lyons's 1.35.
Pete Alexander vs Ted Lyons: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Alexander or Ted Lyons?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Alexander leads Ted Lyons in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pete Alexander, with 2.56 to Ted Lyons's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Pete Alexander, with 373 to Ted Lyons's 260.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pete Alexander, with 2,198 to Ted Lyons's 1,073.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pete Alexander, with 1.12 to Ted Lyons's 1.35.