Charles Bender vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Charles Bender 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). Charles Bender played 1903–1925 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
Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 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? Charles Bender, with 2.46 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Charles Bender, with 212 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Charles Bender, with 1,711 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Charles Bender's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Charles Bender, with 3,017.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Charles Bender, with 40 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Charles Bender, with 43,118 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Charles Bender
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 1900s 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 | Charles Bender | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 212 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 459 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 334 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,711 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,017.0 | 495.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.46 | 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 5.10 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.12 | 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Charles Bender outpaces Paul Skenes 43,118 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Charles Bender played 16 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 2,695). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charles Bender 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 Charles Bender. PIV agrees: Charles Bender 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
Charles Bender (1903–1925) was finished before Paul Skenes (2024–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Charles Bender has the far longer record, 459 games against 87 across 16 and 2 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Paul Skenes are WHIP (1.01 to 1.11) and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 5.10). The per-nine rows read 5.10 strikeouts and 2.12 walks for Charles Bender, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), and Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). The complete-game row, 255 against 1, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Charles Bender vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charles Bender leads Paul Skenes in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Charles Bender, with 2.46 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Charles Bender, with 212 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Charles Bender, with 1,711 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Charles Bender's 1.11.