Paul Derringer vs Charlie Root: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Derringer (1931–1945) and Charlie Root (1923–1941) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Paul Derringer compiled 223 wins and 1,507 strikeouts; Charlie Root put up 201 wins and 1,459 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Paul Derringer
Charlie Root
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Paul Derringer | Charlie Root |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 223 | 201 |
| Losses | 212 | 160 |
| Games | 579 | 632 |
| Games Started | 445 | 341 |
| Complete Games | 251 | 177 |
| Shutouts | 32 | 21 |
| Saves | 29 | 40 |
| Strikeouts | 1,507 | 1,459 |
| Walks | 761 | 889 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,912 | 3,252 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 158 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,645 | 3,197 |
| ERA | 3.46 | 3.59 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.30 |
| K/9 | 3.72 | 4.11 |
| BB/9 | 1.88 | 2.50 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Derringer outpaces Charlie Root 67,059 to 28,449 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,191 vs 1,673 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Paul Derringer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Charlie Root — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Derringer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Charlie Root owns 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.