Bob Feller vs Billy Pierce: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Feller played 1936–1956 as a pitcher; Billy Pierce played 1945–1964 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
Bob Feller (1936–1956) and Billy Pierce (1945–1964) — they debuted in the 1930s and the 1940s respectively and share 12 seasons. Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts; Billy Pierce finished with 211 wins and 1,999 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Bob Feller, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Billy Pierce's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Pierce, with 1.26 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bob Feller 3,827.0, Billy Pierce 3,306.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Billy Pierce's 38.
Bob Feller
Billy Pierce
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Bob Feller | Billy Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 211 |
| Losses not scored | 162 | 169 |
| Games not scored | 570 | 585 |
| Games Started not scored | 484 | 432 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 279 | 193 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 44 | 38 |
| Saves not scored | 21 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,581 | 1,999 |
| Walks not scored | 1,764 | 1,178 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,271 | 2,989 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 224 | 284 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,827.0 | 3,306.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.25 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.07 | 5.44 |
| BB/9 | 4.15 | Leads: 3.21 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller leads Billy Pierce 48,739 to 39,435 — driven by per-season impact — 2,708 PIV per season to 2,191 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Feller played 18 seasons to Billy Pierce's 18. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Billy Pierce — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Bob Feller leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Billy Pierce leads 2: WHIP and walks per nine. 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 Billy Pierce careers compare
Bob Feller and Billy Pierce were active at the same time between 1945 and 1956. The two careers are close in length, 570 games for Bob Feller and 585 for Billy Pierce across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Billy Pierce are WHIP (1.26 to 1.32) and walks per nine (3.21 to 4.15). The per-nine rows read 6.07 strikeouts and 4.15 walks for Bob Feller, 5.44 and 3.21 for Billy Pierce. Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games), and Billy Pierce was mainly a starter (432 starts in 585 games). In WHIP, Billy Pierce's 1.26 beats Bob Feller's 1.32.
Bob Feller vs Billy Pierce: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Feller or Billy Pierce?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Billy Pierce in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Billy Pierce's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Pierce, with 1.26 to Bob Feller's 1.32.