Ray Brown vs Satchel Paige: Career Stats Comparison
Satchel Paige 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). Ray Brown played ?–1945 as a pitcher; Satchel Paige played 1948–1965 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 Satchel Paige (1948–1965) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Ray Brown finished with 123 wins and 726 strikeouts; Satchel Paige finished with 143 wins and 1,695 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Ray Brown's 3.21.
- Who won more games? Satchel Paige, with 143 to Ray Brown's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Satchel Paige, with 1,695 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP? Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Ray Brown's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Satchel Paige, with 1,962.2 to Ray Brown's 1,511.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Satchel Paige, with 28 to Ray Brown's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Satchel Paige, with 77,694 career Pitcher PIV to Ray Brown's 30,490.
Satchel Paige
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 | Satchel Paige |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 123 | Leads: 143 |
| Losses not scored | 47 | 89 |
| Games | 224 | Leads: 438 |
| Games Started | 163 | Leads: 226 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 142 | 116 |
| Shutouts | 17 | Leads: 28 |
| Saves | 15 | Leads: 47 |
| Strikeouts | 726 | Leads: 1,695 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 533 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,437 | 1,647 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,511.2 | Leads: 1,962.2 |
| ERA | 3.21 | Leads: 2.77 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 7.77 |
| BB/9 | 2.56 | Leads: 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Satchel Paige outpaces Ray Brown 77,694 to 30,490 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,775 PIV per season to 1,794, across 28 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)
Satchel Paige — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Satchel Paige leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ray Brown owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Satchel Paige. PIV agrees: Satchel Paige 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 Satchel Paige careers compare
Ray Brown (?–1945) was finished before Satchel Paige (1948–1965) arrived, so they never shared a league. Satchel Paige has the far longer record, 438 games against 224 across 17 and 28 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Ray Brown comes out ahead, it is in complete games (142 to 116). The per-nine rows read 4.32 strikeouts and 2.56 walks for Ray Brown, 7.77 and 2.44 for Satchel Paige. Their roles differ: Ray Brown was mainly a starter (163 starts in 224 games); Satchel Paige split time between starting and relief (226 starts in 438 games). In WHIP, Satchel Paige's 1.11 beats Ray Brown's 1.24.
Ray Brown vs Satchel Paige: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ray Brown or Satchel Paige?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Satchel Paige leads Ray Brown in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Ray Brown's 3.21.
- Who won more games?
- Satchel Paige, with 143 to Ray Brown's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Satchel Paige, with 1,695 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Ray Brown's 1.24.