Bob Feller vs Bob Friend: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller 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). Bob Feller played 1936–1956 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
Bob Feller (1936–1956) and Bob Friend (1951–1966) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 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? Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Friend, with 1.29 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827.0 to Bob Friend's 3,611.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Bob Friend's 36.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Feller, with 48,739 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Friend's 45,735.
Bob Feller
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, and the 1930s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Feller | Bob Friend |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 197 |
| Losses not scored | 162 | 230 |
| Games | 570 | Leads: 602 |
| Games Started | 484 | Leads: 497 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 279 | 163 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 44 | 36 |
| Saves | Leads: 21 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,581 | 1,734 |
| Walks not scored | 1,764 | 894 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,271 | 3,772 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 224 | 286 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,827.0 | 3,611.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.25 | 3.58 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.29 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.07 | 4.32 |
| BB/9 | 4.15 | Leads: 2.23 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller edges Bob Friend 48,739 to 45,735 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,708 PIV per season to 2,690, across 18 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).
Bob Feller — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Friend — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Feller leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Bob Friend owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Feller. PIV agrees: Bob Feller grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Feller and Bob Friend careers compare
Bob Feller and Bob Friend were active at the same time between 1951 and 1956. With 570 games against 602 across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bob Friend are games (602 to 570), starts (497 to 484), and WHIP (1.29 to 1.32). The per-nine rows read 6.07 strikeouts and 4.15 walks for Bob Feller, 4.32 and 2.23 for Bob Friend. Both had the same role: Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games); Bob Friend was mainly a starter (497 starts in 602 games). In WHIP, Bob Friend's 1.29 beats Bob Feller's 1.32.
Bob Feller vs Bob Friend: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Feller or Bob Friend?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Bob Friend in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Friend, with 1.29 to Bob Feller's 1.32.