Pete Alexander vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Alexander has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pete Alexander finished with 373 wins and 2,198 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Pete Alexander, with 373 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pete Alexander, with 2,198 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Pete Alexander's 1.12.
- Who pitched more innings? Pete Alexander, with 5,190.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pete Alexander, with 90 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pete Alexander, with 75,743 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Pete Alexander
Paul Skenes
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 2020s 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 | Pete Alexander | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 208 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 696 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 599 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 437 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 90 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 32 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,198 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 951 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,868 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 164 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,190.0 | 495.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.56 | 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.12 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 3.81 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.65 | 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Alexander outpaces Paul Skenes 75,743 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Pete Alexander played 21 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 3,607). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Alexander leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns WHIP and K/9. 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
No season is shared: Pete Alexander played 1911–1930, Paul Skenes 2024–present. The table compares 696 games of Pete Alexander with 87 of Paul Skenes across 21 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Paul Skenes comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.01 to 1.12) and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 3.81). The per-nine rows read 3.81 strikeouts and 1.65 walks for Pete Alexander, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Pete Alexander was mainly a starter (599 starts in 696 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Complete games (437 to 1) show how differently the two eras used starters. Paul Skenes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Pete Alexander vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Alexander or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Alexander leads Paul Skenes in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pete Alexander, with 2.56 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Pete Alexander, with 373 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pete Alexander, with 2,198 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Pete Alexander's 1.12.