Mort Cooper vs Lefty Grove: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove 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). Mort Cooper played 1938–1949 as a pitcher; Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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 Lefty Grove (1925–1941) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Mort Cooper finished with 128 wins and 913 strikeouts; Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 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 Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Mort Cooper's 128.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Mort Cooper's 913.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mort Cooper, with 1.22 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Mort Cooper's 1,840.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Mort Cooper's 33.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Mort Cooper's 22,546.
Mort Cooper
Lefty Grove
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, and the 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mort Cooper | Lefty Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 128 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 75 | 141 |
| Games | 295 | Leads: 616 |
| Games Started | 239 | Leads: 457 |
| Complete Games | 128 | Leads: 298 |
| Shutouts | 33 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | 14 | Leads: 55 |
| Strikeouts | 913 | Leads: 2,266 |
| Walks not scored | 571 | 1,187 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,666 | 3,849 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 85 | 162 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,840.2 | Leads: 3,940.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.97 | 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 4.46 | Leads: 5.18 |
| BB/9 | 2.79 | Leads: 2.71 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Mort Cooper 81,321 to 22,546 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 1,734, across 17 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)
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove 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 Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove 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 Lefty Grove careers compare
From 1938 through 1941, Mort Cooper and Lefty Grove were in the majors together. The table compares 295 games of Mort Cooper with 616 of Lefty Grove across 13 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Mort Cooper comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.97 to 3.06) and WHIP (1.22 to 1.28). The per-nine rows read 4.46 strikeouts and 2.79 walks for Mort Cooper, 5.18 and 2.71 for Lefty Grove. Both had the same role: Mort Cooper was mainly a starter (239 starts in 295 games); Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games). In WHIP, Mort Cooper's 1.22 beats Lefty Grove's 1.28.
Mort Cooper vs Lefty Grove: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mort Cooper or Lefty Grove?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Mort Cooper in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mort Cooper, with 2.97 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Mort Cooper's 128.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Mort Cooper's 913.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mort Cooper, with 1.22 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.