Charles Bender vs Joe Williams: 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; Joe Williams played ?–1932 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 Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 strikeouts; Joe Williams finished with 109 wins and 1,033 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 Joe Williams's 2.57.
- Who won more games? Charles Bender, with 212 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Charles Bender, with 1,711 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP? Charles Bender, with 1.11 to Joe Williams's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Charles Bender, with 3,017.0 to Joe Williams's 1,517.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Charles Bender, with 40 to Joe Williams's 14.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Williams, with 44,974 career Pitcher PIV to Charles Bender's 43,118.
Charles Bender
Joe Williams
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Charles Bender | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 212 | 109 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 59 |
| Games | Leads: 459 | 207 |
| Games Started | Leads: 334 | 172 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 140 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 14 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,711 | 1,033 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,017.0 | 1,517.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.46 | 2.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 5.10 | Leads: 6.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.12 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Williams edges Charles Bender 44,974 to 43,118 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Joe Williams played 21 seasons to Charles Bender's 16, while Charles Bender carries the higher per-season figure (2,695 to 2,142). 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)
Joe Williams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charles Bender leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Joe Williams owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charles Bender. Note that PIV actually grades Joe Williams ahead, which means Charles Bender's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Charles Bender and Joe Williams careers compare
Charles Bender (1903–1925) was finished before Joe Williams (?–1932) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 459 games of Charles Bender with 207 of Joe Williams across 16 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Joe Williams's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (6.13 to 5.10) and walks per nine (2.01 to 2.12). The per-nine rows read 5.10 strikeouts and 2.12 walks for Charles Bender, 6.13 and 2.01 for Joe Williams. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), and Joe Williams was mainly a starter (172 starts in 207 games). In WHIP, Charles Bender's 1.11 beats Joe Williams's 1.18.
Charles Bender vs Joe Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Joe Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Charles Bender leads Joe Williams in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Charles Bender, with 2.46 to Joe Williams's 2.57.
- Who won more games?
- Charles Bender, with 212 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Charles Bender, with 1,711 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Charles Bender, with 1.11 to Joe Williams's 1.18.