Mort Cooper vs Bob Feller: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller 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). Mort Cooper played 1938–1949 as a pitcher; Bob Feller played 1936–1956 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
Mort Cooper (1938–1949) and Bob Feller (1936–1956) — both came up during the 1930s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mort Cooper finished with 128 wins and 913 strikeouts; Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mort Cooper, with 2.97 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Mort Cooper's 128.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Mort Cooper's 913.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mort Cooper, with 1.22 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827.0 to Mort Cooper's 1,840.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Mort Cooper's 33.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Feller, with 48,739 career Pitcher PIV to Mort Cooper's 22,546.
Mort Cooper
Bob Feller
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 | Mort Cooper | Bob Feller |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 128 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 75 | 162 |
| Games | 295 | Leads: 570 |
| Games Started | 239 | Leads: 484 |
| Complete Games | 128 | Leads: 279 |
| Shutouts | 33 | Leads: 44 |
| Saves | 14 | Leads: 21 |
| Strikeouts | 913 | Leads: 2,581 |
| Walks not scored | 571 | 1,764 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,666 | 3,271 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 85 | 224 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,840.2 | Leads: 3,827.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.97 | 3.25 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 4.46 | Leads: 6.07 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.79 | 4.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller outpaces Mort Cooper 48,739 to 22,546 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,708 PIV per season to 1,734, across 18 seasons to 13. 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).
Mort Cooper — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Feller — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Feller leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Mort Cooper owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Feller. PIV agrees: Bob Feller grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mort Cooper and Bob Feller careers compare
The careers of Mort Cooper (1938–1949) and Bob Feller (1936–1956) overlapped from 1938 to 1949, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Bob Feller has the far longer record, 570 games against 295 across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Mort Cooper's edges on the table are ERA (2.97 to 3.25), WHIP (1.22 to 1.32), and walks per nine (2.79 to 4.15). The per-nine rows read 4.46 strikeouts and 2.79 walks for Mort Cooper, 6.07 and 4.15 for Bob Feller. Mort Cooper was mainly a starter (239 starts in 295 games), and Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games).
Mort Cooper vs Bob Feller: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mort Cooper or Bob Feller?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Mort Cooper in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mort Cooper, with 2.97 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Mort Cooper's 128.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Mort Cooper's 913.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mort Cooper, with 1.22 to Bob Feller's 1.32.