Charles Bender vs Mordecai Brown: Career Stats Comparison
Mordecai Brown has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Charles Bender played 1903–1925 as a pitcher; Mordecai Brown played 1903–1916 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
Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) — both debuted in the 1900s. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 strikeouts; Mordecai Brown finished with 239 wins and 1,375 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Mordecai Brown, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Mordecai Brown, with 2.06 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games? Mordecai Brown, with 239 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Charles Bender, with 1,711 to Mordecai Brown's 1,375.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mordecai Brown, with 1.07 to Charles Bender's 1.11.
- How many innings did each pitch? Charles Bender 3,017.0, Mordecai Brown 3,172.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Mordecai Brown, with 55 to Charles Bender's 40.
Charles Bender
Mordecai Brown
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charles Bender | Mordecai Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 212 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 130 |
| Games not scored | 459 | 481 |
| Games Started not scored | 334 | 332 |
| Complete Games | 255 | Leads: 271 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 55 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 49 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,711 | 1,375 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 673 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 2,708 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 43 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,017.0 | 3,172.1 |
| ERA | 2.46 | Leads: 2.06 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.07 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.10 | 3.90 |
| BB/9 | 2.12 | Leads: 1.91 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charles Bender outpaces Mordecai Brown 43,118 to 31,501 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,695 PIV per season to 2,250, across 16 seasons to 14. 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).
Charles Bender — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mordecai Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Mordecai Brown leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, ERA, and others. Charles Bender leads 2: strikeouts and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mordecai Brown. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Charles Bender higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charles Bender and Mordecai Brown careers compare
From 1903 through 1916, Charles Bender and Mordecai Brown were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 459 games for Charles Bender and 481 for Mordecai Brown across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Charles Bender comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts (1,711 to 1,375) and strikeouts per nine (5.10 to 3.90). By rate, Charles Bender struck out 5.10 and walked 2.12 per nine innings; Mordecai Brown struck out 3.90 and walked 1.91. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), while Mordecai Brown split time between starting and relief (332 starts in 481 games).
Charles Bender vs Mordecai Brown: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Mordecai Brown?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mordecai Brown leads Charles Bender in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mordecai Brown, with 2.06 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games?
- Mordecai Brown, with 239 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Charles Bender, with 1,711 to Mordecai Brown's 1,375.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mordecai Brown, with 1.07 to Charles Bender's 1.11.