Andy Cooper 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). Andy Cooper played ?–1939 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
Andy Cooper (?–1939) and Satchel Paige (1948–1965) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Andy Cooper finished with 114 wins and 659 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 Andy Cooper's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Satchel Paige, with 143 to Andy Cooper's 114.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Satchel Paige, with 1,695 to Andy Cooper's 659.
- Who had the better WHIP? Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Andy Cooper's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Satchel Paige, with 1,962.2 to Andy Cooper's 1,548.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Satchel Paige, with 28 to Andy Cooper's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Satchel Paige, with 77,694 career Pitcher PIV to Andy Cooper's 25,440.
Andy Cooper
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 | Andy Cooper | Satchel Paige |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 114 | Leads: 143 |
| Losses not scored | 64 | 89 |
| Games | 286 | Leads: 438 |
| Games Started | 167 | Leads: 226 |
| Complete Games | 105 | Leads: 116 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 28 |
| Saves | 32 | Leads: 47 |
| Strikeouts | 659 | Leads: 1,695 |
| Walks not scored | 313 | 533 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,533 | 1,647 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 66 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,548.0 | Leads: 1,962.2 |
| ERA | 3.64 | Leads: 2.77 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 3.83 | Leads: 7.77 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Satchel Paige outpaces Andy Cooper 77,694 to 25,440 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,775 PIV per season to 1,339, across 28 seasons to 19. 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).
Andy Cooper — 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 Andy Cooper 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 Andy Cooper and Satchel Paige careers compare
No season is shared: Andy Cooper played ?–1939, Satchel Paige 1948–1965. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Andy Cooper appeared in 286 games to Satchel Paige's 438. The green cells for Andy Cooper are walks per nine (1.82 to 2.44). The per-nine rows read 3.83 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Andy Cooper, 7.77 and 2.44 for Satchel Paige. Andy Cooper split time between starting and relief (167 starts in 286 games), and Satchel Paige split time between starting and relief (226 starts in 438 games). In WHIP, Satchel Paige's 1.11 beats Andy Cooper's 1.19.
Andy Cooper vs Satchel Paige: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Cooper or Satchel Paige?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Satchel Paige leads Andy Cooper in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Andy Cooper's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Satchel Paige, with 143 to Andy Cooper's 114.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Satchel Paige, with 1,695 to Andy Cooper's 659.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Andy Cooper's 1.19.