Mordecai Brown vs Joe Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Mordecai Brown compiled 239 wins and 1,375 strikeouts; Joe Williams put up 109 wins and 1,033 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Mordecai Brown
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Mordecai Brown | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 239 | 109 |
| Losses | 130 | 59 |
| Games | 481 | 207 |
| Games Started | 332 | 172 |
| Complete Games | 271 | 140 |
| Shutouts | 55 | 14 |
| Saves | 49 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 1,375 | 1,033 |
| Walks | 673 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,708 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 43 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,172 | 1,517 |
| ERA | 2.06 | 2.57 |
| WHIP | 1.07 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 3.90 | 6.13 |
| BB/9 | 1.91 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Williams outpaces Mordecai Brown 44,974 to 31,501 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,142 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)
Joe Williams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mordecai Brown 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 Mordecai Brown. Note that PIV actually grades Joe Williams ahead, which means Mordecai Brown's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.