Turk Farrell vs Wilbur Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Wilbur Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Turk Farrell played 1956–1969 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
Turk Farrell (1956–1969) and Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Turk Farrell finished with 106 wins and 1,177 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 Turk Farrell's 3.45.
- Who won more games? Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Turk Farrell's 106.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Wilbur Wood, with 1,411 to Turk Farrell's 1,177.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Wilbur Wood, with 2,684.0 to Turk Farrell's 1,705.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Wilbur Wood, with 24 to Turk Farrell's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Turk Farrell, with 21,059 career Pitcher PIV to Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
Turk Farrell
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 | Turk Farrell | Wilbur Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 106 | Leads: 164 |
| Losses not scored | 111 | 156 |
| Games | 590 | Leads: 651 |
| Games Started | 134 | Leads: 297 |
| Complete Games | 41 | Leads: 114 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 83 | 57 |
| Strikeouts | 1,177 | Leads: 1,411 |
| Walks not scored | 468 | 724 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,628 | 2,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 152 | 209 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,705.0 | Leads: 2,684.0 |
| ERA | 3.45 | Leads: 3.24 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.21 | 4.73 |
| BB/9 | 2.47 | Leads: 2.43 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Turk Farrell outpaces Wilbur Wood 21,059 to 13,866 — driven by per-season impact — 1,316 PIV per season to 770 — rather than by longevity, since Turk Farrell played 16 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).
Turk Farrell — top 3 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 innings pitched, while Turk Farrell owns WHIP and 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 Turk Farrell 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 Turk Farrell and Wilbur Wood careers compare
From 1961 through 1969, Turk Farrell and Wilbur Wood were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 590 games for Turk Farrell and 651 for Wilbur Wood across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Turk Farrell comes out ahead, it is in saves (83 to 57), WHIP (1.23 to 1.23), and strikeouts per nine (6.21 to 4.73). By rate, Turk Farrell struck out 6.21 and walked 2.47 per nine innings; Wilbur Wood struck out 4.73 and walked 2.43.
Turk Farrell vs Wilbur Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Turk Farrell or Wilbur Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Wilbur Wood leads Turk Farrell in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Wilbur Wood, with 3.24 to Turk Farrell's 3.45.
- Who won more games?
- Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Turk Farrell's 106.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Wilbur Wood, with 1,411 to Turk Farrell's 1,177.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.23.