Bill Byrd vs Paul Derringer: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Derringer has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bill Byrd played ?–1948 as a pitcher; Paul Derringer played 1931–1945 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
Bill Byrd (?–1948) and Paul Derringer (1931–1945) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Bill Byrd finished with 101 wins and 741 strikeouts; Paul Derringer finished with 223 wins and 1,507 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Derringer, with 3.46 to Bill Byrd's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Paul Derringer, with 223 to Bill Byrd's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Paul Derringer, with 1,507 to Bill Byrd's 741.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bill Byrd, with 1.23 to Paul Derringer's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Paul Derringer, with 3,645.0 to Bill Byrd's 1,374.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Paul Derringer, with 32 to Bill Byrd's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Paul Derringer, with 67,059 career Pitcher PIV to Bill Byrd's 37,111.
Paul Derringer
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 | Bill Byrd | Paul Derringer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 101 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 68 | 212 |
| Games | 210 | Leads: 579 |
| Games Started | 156 | Leads: 445 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 251 |
| Shutouts | 10 | Leads: 32 |
| Saves | 11 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 741 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Walks not scored | 290 | 761 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,394 | 3,912 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 43 | 158 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,374.2 | Leads: 3,645.0 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.85 | 3.72 |
| BB/9 | 1.90 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Derringer outpaces Bill Byrd 67,059 to 37,111 — driven by per-season impact — 4,191 PIV per season to 2,183 — rather than by longevity, since Paul Derringer played 16 seasons to Bill Byrd's 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).
Bill Byrd — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Paul Derringer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Derringer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Bill Byrd owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Derringer. PIV agrees: Paul Derringer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bill Byrd and Paul Derringer careers compare
Paul Derringer (1931–1945) was finished before Bill Byrd (?–1948) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 210 games of Bill Byrd with 579 of Paul Derringer across 17 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Bill Byrd are WHIP (1.23 to 1.28) and strikeouts per nine (4.85 to 3.72). The per-nine rows read 4.85 strikeouts and 1.90 walks for Bill Byrd, 3.72 and 1.88 for Paul Derringer. Bill Byrd was mainly a starter (156 starts in 210 games), and Paul Derringer was mainly a starter (445 starts in 579 games). In WHIP, Bill Byrd's 1.23 beats Paul Derringer's 1.28.
Bill Byrd vs Paul Derringer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Byrd or Paul Derringer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Derringer leads Bill Byrd in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Derringer, with 3.46 to Bill Byrd's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Paul Derringer, with 223 to Bill Byrd's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Paul Derringer, with 1,507 to Bill Byrd's 741.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bill Byrd, with 1.23 to Paul Derringer's 1.28.