Mordecai Brown vs Eppa Rixey: Career Stats Comparison
Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Eppa Rixey (1912–1933) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Mordecai Brown compiled 239 wins and 1,375 strikeouts; Eppa Rixey put up 266 wins and 1,350 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Mordecai Brown
Eppa Rixey
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 | Eppa Rixey |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 239 | 266 |
| Losses | 130 | 251 |
| Games | 481 | 692 |
| Games Started | 332 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 271 | 290 |
| Shutouts | 55 | 37 |
| Saves | 49 | 14 |
| Strikeouts | 1,375 | 1,350 |
| Walks | 673 | 1,082 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,708 | 4,633 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 43 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,172 | 4,494 |
| ERA | 2.06 | 3.15 |
| WHIP | 1.07 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 3.90 | 2.70 |
| BB/9 | 1.91 | 2.17 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eppa Rixey outpaces Mordecai Brown 45,675 to 31,501 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,175 vs 2,100 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)
Eppa Rixey — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mordecai Brown leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Eppa Rixey owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mordecai Brown. Note that PIV actually grades Eppa Rixey ahead, which means Mordecai Brown's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.