Mordecai Brown vs Rube Marquard: Career Stats Comparison
Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Rube Marquard (1908–1925) — both came up during the 1900s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mordecai Brown compiled 239 wins and 1,375 strikeouts; Rube Marquard put up 201 wins and 1,593 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Mordecai Brown
Rube Marquard
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Mordecai Brown | Rube Marquard |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 239 | 201 |
| Losses | 130 | 177 |
| Games | 481 | 536 |
| Games Started | 332 | 404 |
| Complete Games | 271 | 197 |
| Shutouts | 55 | 30 |
| Saves | 49 | 19 |
| Strikeouts | 1,375 | 1,593 |
| Walks | 673 | 858 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,708 | 3,233 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 43 | 107 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,172 | 3,306 |
| ERA | 2.06 | 3.08 |
| WHIP | 1.07 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 3.90 | 4.34 |
| BB/9 | 1.91 | 2.34 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mordecai Brown leads Rube Marquard 31,501 to 28,636 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,100 vs 1,507 per year). 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).
Mordecai Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rube Marquard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mordecai Brown leads in wins, ERA, and WHIP, while Rube Marquard owns strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mordecai Brown. PIV agrees: Mordecai Brown grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.