Roy Face vs Wilbur Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Wilbur Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Wilbur Wood played 1961–1978 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 Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roy Face finished with 104 wins and 877 strikeouts; Wilbur Wood finished with 164 wins and 1,411 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Wilbur Wood, with 3.24 to Roy Face's 3.48.
- Who won more games? Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Roy Face's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Wilbur Wood, with 1,411 to Roy Face's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP? Wilbur Wood, with 1.23 to Roy Face's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Wilbur Wood, with 2,684.0 to Roy Face's 1,375.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Wilbur Wood, with 24 to Roy Face's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Face, with 14,397 career Pitcher PIV to Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
Wilbur Wood
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Face | Wilbur Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 104 | Leads: 164 |
| Losses not scored | 95 | 156 |
| Games | Leads: 848 | 651 |
| Games Started | 27 | Leads: 297 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 114 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 193 | 57 |
| Strikeouts | 877 | Leads: 1,411 |
| Walks not scored | 362 | 724 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,347 | 2,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 141 | 209 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,375.0 | Leads: 2,684.0 |
| ERA | 3.48 | Leads: 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 4.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.37 | 2.43 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Face edges Wilbur Wood 14,397 to 13,866 — driven by per-season impact — 847 PIV per season to 770 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Face played 17 seasons to Wilbur Wood's 18. 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)
Wilbur Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Wilbur Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Roy Face owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Wilbur Wood. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Face ahead, which means Wilbur Wood's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Face and Wilbur Wood careers compare
The careers of Roy Face (1953–1969) and Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) overlapped from 1961 to 1969, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 848 games against 651 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Roy Face are games (848 to 651), saves (193 to 57), and strikeouts per nine (5.74 to 4.73). By rate, Roy Face struck out 5.74 and walked 2.37 per nine innings; Wilbur Wood struck out 4.73 and walked 2.43.
Roy Face vs Wilbur Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Face or Wilbur Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Wilbur Wood leads Roy Face in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Wilbur Wood, with 3.24 to Roy Face's 3.48.
- Who won more games?
- Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Roy Face's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Wilbur Wood, with 1,411 to Roy Face's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Wilbur Wood, with 1.23 to Roy Face's 1.24.