Bill Byrd vs Claude Passeau: Career Stats Comparison
Claude Passeau 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). Bill Byrd played ?–1948 as a pitcher; Claude Passeau played 1935–1947 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 Claude Passeau (1935–1947) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Bill Byrd finished with 101 wins and 741 strikeouts; Claude Passeau finished with 162 wins and 1,104 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Claude Passeau, with 3.32 to Bill Byrd's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Claude Passeau, with 162 to Bill Byrd's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Claude Passeau, with 1,104 to Bill Byrd's 741.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bill Byrd, with 1.23 to Claude Passeau's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Claude Passeau, with 2,719.2 to Bill Byrd's 1,374.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Claude Passeau, with 26 to Bill Byrd's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Claude Passeau, with 39,598 career Pitcher PIV to Bill Byrd's 37,111.
Claude Passeau
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 | Claude Passeau |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 101 | Leads: 162 |
| Losses not scored | 68 | 150 |
| Games | 210 | Leads: 444 |
| Games Started | 156 | Leads: 331 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 188 |
| Shutouts | 10 | Leads: 26 |
| Saves | 11 | Leads: 21 |
| Strikeouts | 741 | Leads: 1,104 |
| Walks not scored | 290 | 728 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,394 | 2,856 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 43 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,374.2 | Leads: 2,719.2 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 3.32 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.85 | 3.65 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.90 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Claude Passeau edges Bill Byrd 39,598 to 37,111 — driven by per-season impact — 2,828 PIV per season to 2,183 — rather than by longevity, since Claude Passeau played 14 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)
Claude Passeau — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Claude Passeau 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 Claude Passeau. PIV agrees: Claude Passeau 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 Claude Passeau careers compare
Claude Passeau (1935–1947) was finished before Bill Byrd (?–1948) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Bill Byrd appeared in 210 games to Claude Passeau's 444. Where Bill Byrd comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.23 to 1.32), strikeouts per nine (4.85 to 3.65), and walks per nine (1.90 to 2.41). The per-nine rows read 4.85 strikeouts and 1.90 walks for Bill Byrd, 3.65 and 2.41 for Claude Passeau. Bill Byrd was mainly a starter (156 starts in 210 games), and Claude Passeau was mainly a starter (331 starts in 444 games). In WHIP, Bill Byrd's 1.23 beats Claude Passeau's 1.32.
Bill Byrd vs Claude Passeau: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bill Byrd or Claude Passeau?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Claude Passeau leads Bill Byrd in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Claude Passeau, with 3.32 to Bill Byrd's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Claude Passeau, with 162 to Bill Byrd's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Claude Passeau, with 1,104 to Bill Byrd's 741.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bill Byrd, with 1.23 to Claude Passeau's 1.32.