Ray Brown vs Joe Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ray Brown played ?–1945 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
Ray Brown (?–1945) and Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Ray Brown finished with 123 wins and 726 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? Joe Williams, with 2.57 to Ray Brown's 3.21.
- Who won more games? Ray Brown, with 123 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Williams, with 1,033 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Williams, with 1.18 to Ray Brown's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Williams, with 1,517.0 to Ray Brown's 1,511.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ray Brown, with 17 to Joe Williams's 14.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Williams, with 44,974 career Pitcher PIV to Ray Brown's 30,490.
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 | Ray Brown | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 123 | 109 |
| Losses not scored | 47 | 59 |
| Games | Leads: 224 | 207 |
| Games Started | 163 | Leads: 172 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 142 | 140 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 17 | 14 |
| Saves | Leads: 15 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 726 | Leads: 1,033 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,437 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,511.2 | Leads: 1,517.0 |
| ERA | 3.21 | Leads: 2.57 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 6.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.56 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Williams outpaces Ray Brown 44,974 to 30,490 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,142 PIV per season to 1,794, across 21 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)
Joe Williams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Williams leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Ray Brown owns wins. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Williams. PIV agrees: Joe Williams 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 Joe Williams careers compare
No season is shared: Joe Williams played ?–1932, Ray Brown ?–1945. With 224 games against 207 across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 4.32 strikeouts and 2.56 walks for Ray Brown, 6.13 and 2.01 for Joe Williams. Ray Brown was mainly a starter (163 starts in 224 games), and Joe Williams was mainly a starter (172 starts in 207 games). In WHIP, Joe Williams's 1.18 beats Ray Brown's 1.24. Joe Williams owns the better peak by ERA: 1.95 ERA in 1938 for Ray Brown against 1.14 ERA in 1918 for Joe Williams.
Ray Brown vs Joe Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ray Brown or Joe Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Williams leads Ray Brown in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Williams, with 2.57 to Ray Brown's 3.21.
- Who won more games?
- Ray Brown, with 123 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Williams, with 1,033 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Williams, with 1.18 to Ray Brown's 1.24.