Ray Brown vs Bob Feller: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ray Brown played ?–1945 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
Ray Brown (?–1945) and Bob Feller (1936–1956) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Ray Brown finished with 123 wins and 726 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? Ray Brown, with 3.21 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Ray Brown's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ray Brown, with 1.24 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827.0 to Ray Brown's 1,511.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Ray Brown's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Feller, with 48,739 career Pitcher PIV to Ray Brown's 30,490.
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 | Ray Brown | Bob Feller |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 123 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 47 | 162 |
| Games | 224 | Leads: 570 |
| Games Started | 163 | Leads: 484 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 279 |
| Shutouts | 17 | Leads: 44 |
| Saves | 15 | Leads: 21 |
| Strikeouts | 726 | Leads: 2,581 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 1,764 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,437 | 3,271 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 224 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,511.2 | Leads: 3,827.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.21 | 3.25 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.24 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 6.07 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.56 | 4.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller outpaces Ray Brown 48,739 to 30,490 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,708 PIV per season to 1,794, across 18 seasons to 17. 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).
Ray 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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Ray Brown owns ERA and WHIP. 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 Ray Brown and Bob Feller careers compare
From 1945 through 1945, Ray Brown and Bob Feller were in the majors together. The table compares 224 games of Ray Brown with 570 of Bob Feller across 17 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Ray Brown are ERA (3.21 to 3.25), WHIP (1.24 to 1.32), and walks per nine (2.56 to 4.15). The per-nine rows read 4.32 strikeouts and 2.56 walks for Ray Brown, 6.07 and 4.15 for Bob Feller. Ray Brown was mainly a starter (163 starts in 224 games), and Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games). In WHIP, Ray Brown's 1.24 beats Bob Feller's 1.32.
Ray Brown vs Bob Feller: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ray Brown or Bob Feller?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Ray Brown in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ray Brown, with 3.21 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Ray Brown's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ray Brown, with 1.24 to Bob Feller's 1.32.