Mordecai Brown vs Joe Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Mordecai Brown 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). Mordecai Brown played 1903–1916 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
Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Mordecai Brown finished with 239 wins and 1,375 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? Mordecai Brown, with 2.06 to Joe Williams's 2.57.
- Who won more games? Mordecai Brown, with 239 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mordecai Brown, with 1,375 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mordecai Brown, with 1.07 to Joe Williams's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Mordecai Brown, with 3,172.1 to Joe Williams's 1,517.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Mordecai Brown, with 55 to Joe Williams's 14.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Williams, with 44,974 career Pitcher PIV to Mordecai Brown's 31,501.
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. 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 | Mordecai Brown | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 239 | 109 |
| Losses not scored | 130 | 59 |
| Games | Leads: 481 | 207 |
| Games Started | Leads: 332 | 172 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 271 | 140 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 14 |
| Saves | Leads: 49 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,375 | 1,033 |
| Walks not scored | 673 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,708 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 43 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,172.1 | 1,517.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.06 | 2.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.07 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 3.90 | Leads: 6.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.91 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Williams outpaces Mordecai Brown 44,974 to 31,501 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,142 PIV per season to 2,100, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
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.
Related Matchups
How the Mordecai Brown and Joe Williams careers compare
No season is shared: Mordecai Brown played 1903–1916, Joe Williams ?–1932. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Mordecai Brown appeared in 481 games to Joe Williams's 207. Where Joe Williams comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (6.13 to 3.90). The per-nine rows read 3.90 strikeouts and 1.91 walks for Mordecai Brown, 6.13 and 2.01 for Joe Williams. Their roles differ: Mordecai Brown split time between starting and relief (332 starts in 481 games); Joe Williams was mainly a starter (172 starts in 207 games). In WHIP, Mordecai Brown's 1.07 beats Joe Williams's 1.18.
Mordecai Brown vs Joe Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mordecai Brown or Joe Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mordecai Brown leads Joe Williams in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mordecai Brown, with 2.06 to Joe Williams's 2.57.
- Who won more games?
- Mordecai Brown, with 239 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mordecai Brown, with 1,375 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mordecai Brown, with 1.07 to Joe Williams's 1.18.