Bob Feller vs Warren Spahn: Career Stats Comparison

Bob Feller (1936–1956) and Warren Spahn (1942–1965) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Feller compiled 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts; Warren Spahn put up 363 wins and 2,583 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Bob Feller

Pitcher · 1936–1956
Wins
266
Losses
162
Strikeouts
2,581
ERA
3.25
WHIP
1.32
IP
3,827
View Bob Feller's full profile →

Warren Spahn

Pitcher · 1942–1965
Wins
363
Losses
245
Strikeouts
2,583
ERA
3.09
WHIP
1.19
IP
5,243
View Warren Spahn's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Bob Feller Warren Spahn
Wins 266 363
Losses 162 245
Games 570 750
Games Started 484 665
Complete Games 279 382
Shutouts 44 63
Saves 21 29
Strikeouts 2,581 2,583
Walks 1,764 1,434
Hits Allowed 3,271 4,830
Home Runs Allowed 224 434
Innings Pitched 3,827 5,243
ERA 3.25 3.09
WHIP 1.32 1.19
K/9 6.07 4.43
BB/9 4.15 2.46

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Warren Spahn leads Bob Feller 63,558 to 48,739 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,889 vs 2,708 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Bob Feller
48,739
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,708 per season (18 seasons)
Warren Spahn
63,558
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,889 per season (22 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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)

19462.18 ERA26-15, 348 K in 371 IP
19402.61 ERA27-11, 261 K in 320 IP
19472.68 ERA20-11, 196 K in 299 IP

Warren Spahn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19532.10 ERA23-7, 148 K in 265 IP
19472.33 ERA21-10, 123 K in 289 IP
19632.60 ERA23-7, 102 K in 259 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Warren Spahn leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Feller owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Warren Spahn. PIV agrees: Warren Spahn grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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