Charles Bender vs Lefty Grove: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Charles Bender played 1903–1925 as a pitcher; Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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 Lefty Grove (1925–1941) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 strikeouts; Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Charles Bender, with 2.46 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP? Charles Bender, with 1.11 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Charles Bender's 3,017.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Charles Bender, with 40 to Lefty Grove's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Charles Bender's 43,118.
Charles Bender
Lefty Grove
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 1900s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charles Bender | Lefty Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 212 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 141 |
| Games | 459 | Leads: 616 |
| Games Started | 334 | Leads: 457 |
| Complete Games | 255 | Leads: 298 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 35 |
| Saves | 34 | Leads: 55 |
| Strikeouts | 1,711 | Leads: 2,266 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 1,187 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 3,849 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 162 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,017.0 | Leads: 3,940.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.46 | 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 5.10 | Leads: 5.18 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.12 | 2.71 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Charles Bender 81,321 to 43,118 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 2,695, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Charles Bender — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Charles Bender owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charles Bender and Lefty Grove careers compare
Charles Bender and Lefty Grove were active at the same time between 1925 and 1925. The two careers are close in length, 459 games for Charles Bender and 616 for Lefty Grove across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Charles Bender are shutouts (40 to 35), ERA (2.46 to 3.06), and WHIP (1.11 to 1.28). By rate, Charles Bender struck out 5.10 and walked 2.12 per nine innings; Lefty Grove struck out 5.18 and walked 2.71. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), and Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games).
Charles Bender vs Lefty Grove: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Lefty Grove?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Charles Bender in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Charles Bender, with 2.46 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Charles Bender, with 1.11 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.