Roy Face vs Bob Friend: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Friend has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Face played 1953–1969 as a pitcher; Bob Friend played 1951–1966 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
Roy Face (1953–1969) and Bob Friend (1951–1966) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roy Face finished with 104 wins and 877 strikeouts; Bob Friend finished with 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Face, with 3.48 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games? Bob Friend, with 197 to Roy Face's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Friend, with 1,734 to Roy Face's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Face, with 1.24 to Bob Friend's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Friend, with 3,611.0 to Roy Face's 1,375.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Friend, with 36 to Roy Face's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Friend, with 45,735 career Pitcher PIV to Roy Face's 14,397.
Bob Friend
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 | Roy Face | Bob Friend |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 104 | Leads: 197 |
| Losses not scored | 95 | 230 |
| Games | Leads: 848 | 602 |
| Games Started | 27 | Leads: 497 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 163 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 36 |
| Saves | Leads: 193 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 877 | Leads: 1,734 |
| Walks not scored | 362 | 894 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,347 | 3,772 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 141 | 286 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,375.0 | Leads: 3,611.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.48 | 3.58 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.24 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 4.32 |
| BB/9 | 2.37 | Leads: 2.23 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Friend outpaces Roy Face 45,735 to 14,397 — driven by per-season impact — 2,690 PIV per season to 847 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Friend played 17 seasons to Roy Face's 17. 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).
Roy Face — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Friend — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Friend leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Roy Face owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Friend. PIV agrees: Bob Friend grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Face and Bob Friend careers compare
The careers of Roy Face (1953–1969) and Bob Friend (1951–1966) overlapped from 1953 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 848 games for Roy Face and 602 for Bob Friend across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 5.74 strikeouts and 2.37 walks for Roy Face, 4.32 and 2.23 for Bob Friend. Roy Face worked mostly in relief (27 starts in 848 games, 193 saves), while Bob Friend was mainly a starter (497 starts in 602 games). The complete-game row, 6 against 163, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Roy Face vs Bob Friend: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Face or Bob Friend?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Friend leads Roy Face in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Face, with 3.48 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Friend, with 197 to Roy Face's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Friend, with 1,734 to Roy Face's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Face, with 1.24 to Bob Friend's 1.29.