Red Faber vs Lefty Grove: Career Stats Comparison
Red Faber (1914–1933) and Lefty Grove (1925–1941) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Red Faber compiled 254 wins and 1,471 strikeouts; Lefty Grove put up 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Red Faber
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Red Faber | Lefty Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 254 | 300 |
| Losses | 213 | 141 |
| Games | 669 | 616 |
| Games Started | 483 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 273 | 298 |
| Shutouts | 29 | 35 |
| Saves | 28 | 55 |
| Strikeouts | 1,471 | 2,266 |
| Walks | 1,213 | 1,187 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,106 | 3,849 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 111 | 162 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,086 | 3,940 |
| ERA | 3.15 | 3.06 |
| WHIP | 1.30 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 3.24 | 5.18 |
| BB/9 | 2.67 | 2.71 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Red Faber 81,321 to 24,538 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,784 vs 1,227 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).
Red Faber — 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, ERA, and WHIP, while Red Faber owns innings pitched. 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.