Bob Feller vs Johnny Sain: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Feller 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). Bob Feller played 1936–1956 as a pitcher; Johnny Sain played 1942–1955 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 Johnny Sain (1942–1955) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts; Johnny Sain finished with 139 wins and 910 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 Johnny Sain's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Johnny Sain's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Johnny Sain's 910.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johnny Sain, with 1.30 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827.0 to Johnny Sain's 2,125.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Johnny Sain's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Feller, with 48,739 career Pitcher PIV to Johnny Sain's 15,136.
Bob Feller
Johnny Sain
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Feller | Johnny Sain |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 162 | 116 |
| Games | Leads: 570 | 412 |
| Games Started | Leads: 484 | 245 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 279 | 140 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 44 | 16 |
| Saves | 21 | Leads: 51 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,581 | 910 |
| Walks not scored | 1,764 | 619 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,271 | 2,145 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 224 | 180 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,827.0 | 2,125.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.25 | 3.49 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.30 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.07 | 3.85 |
| BB/9 | 4.15 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Feller outpaces Johnny Sain 48,739 to 15,136 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,708 PIV per season to 1,164, across 18 seasons to 13. 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)
Johnny Sain — 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 Johnny Sain 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 Johnny Sain careers compare
From 1942 through 1955, Bob Feller and Johnny Sain were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 570 games for Bob Feller and 412 for Johnny Sain across 18 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Johnny Sain are saves (51 to 21), WHIP (1.30 to 1.32), and walks per nine (2.62 to 4.15). The per-nine rows read 6.07 strikeouts and 4.15 walks for Bob Feller, 3.85 and 2.62 for Johnny Sain. Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games), while Johnny Sain split time between starting and relief (245 starts in 412 games).
Bob Feller vs Johnny Sain: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Feller or Johnny Sain?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Johnny Sain in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Feller, with 3.25 to Johnny Sain's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Feller, with 266 to Johnny Sain's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Johnny Sain's 910.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johnny Sain, with 1.30 to Bob Feller's 1.32.