Roy Face vs Bobby Shantz: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Shantz 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; Bobby Shantz played 1949–1964 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 Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roy Face finished with 104 wins and 877 strikeouts; Bobby Shantz finished with 119 wins and 1,072 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bobby Shantz, with 3.38 to Roy Face's 3.48.
- Who won more games? Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Roy Face's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bobby Shantz, with 1,072 to Roy Face's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Face, with 1.24 to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Bobby Shantz, with 1,935.2 to Roy Face's 1,375.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bobby Shantz, with 15 to Roy Face's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bobby Shantz, with 24,845 career Pitcher PIV to Roy Face's 14,397.
Bobby Shantz
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 1950s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Face | Bobby Shantz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 104 | Leads: 119 |
| Losses not scored | 95 | 99 |
| Games | Leads: 848 | 537 |
| Games Started | 27 | Leads: 171 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 78 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 193 | 48 |
| Strikeouts | 877 | Leads: 1,072 |
| Walks not scored | 362 | 643 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,347 | 1,795 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 141 | 151 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,375.0 | Leads: 1,935.2 |
| ERA | 3.48 | Leads: 3.38 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.24 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 4.98 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.37 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Shantz outpaces Roy Face 24,845 to 14,397 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,308 PIV per season to 847, across 19 seasons to 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)
Bobby Shantz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bobby Shantz leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Roy Face owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bobby Shantz. PIV agrees: Bobby Shantz 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 Bobby Shantz careers compare
Roy Face and Bobby Shantz were active at the same time between 1953 and 1964. The table compares 848 games of Roy Face with 537 of Bobby Shantz across 17 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 5.74 strikeouts and 2.37 walks for Roy Face, 4.98 and 2.99 for Bobby Shantz. Their roles differ: Roy Face worked mostly in relief (27 starts in 848 games, 193 saves); Bobby Shantz split time between starting and relief (171 starts in 537 games). The complete-game row, 6 against 78, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Roy Face's 1.24 beats Bobby Shantz's 1.26.
Roy Face vs Bobby Shantz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Face or Bobby Shantz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bobby Shantz leads Roy Face in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bobby Shantz, with 3.38 to Roy Face's 3.48.
- Who won more games?
- Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Roy Face's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bobby Shantz, with 1,072 to Roy Face's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Face, with 1.24 to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.