Barney Brown vs Bob Feller: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Barney Brown played ?–1948 as a pitcher; Bob Feller played 1936–1956 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
Barney Brown (?–1948) and Bob Feller (1936–1956) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Barney Brown finished with 52 wins and 501 strikeouts; Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Barney Brown's 3.82.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Barney Brown's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Barney Brown's 501.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Feller, with 1.32 to Barney Brown's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827.0 to Barney Brown's 920.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Barney Brown's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Feller, with 48,739 career Pitcher PIV to Barney Brown's 15,074.
Barney Brown
Bob Feller
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 | Barney Brown | Bob Feller |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 52 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 61 | 162 |
| Games | 145 | Leads: 570 |
| Games Started | 108 | Leads: 484 |
| Complete Games | 74 | Leads: 279 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 44 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 21 |
| Strikeouts | 501 | Leads: 2,581 |
| Walks not scored | 278 | 1,764 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 965 | 3,271 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 224 |
| Innings Pitched | 920.1 | Leads: 3,827.0 |
| ERA | 3.82 | Leads: 3.25 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.32 |
| K/9 | 4.90 | Leads: 6.07 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.72 | 4.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller outpaces Barney Brown 48,739 to 15,074 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,708 PIV per season to 1,160, across 18 seasons to 13. 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).
Barney Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Feller — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Feller leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Barney Brown owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Feller. PIV agrees: Bob Feller grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barney Brown and Bob Feller careers compare
From 1948 through 1948, Barney Brown and Bob Feller were in the majors together. The table compares 145 games of Barney Brown with 570 of Bob Feller across 13 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Barney Brown's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.72 to 4.15). By rate, Barney Brown struck out 4.90 and walked 2.72 per nine innings; Bob Feller struck out 6.07 and walked 4.15. Barney Brown was mainly a starter (108 starts in 145 games), and Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games). The complete-game row, 74 against 279, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Barney Brown vs Bob Feller: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barney Brown or Bob Feller?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Barney Brown in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Barney Brown's 3.82.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Barney Brown's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Barney Brown's 501.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Feller, with 1.32 to Barney Brown's 1.35.