Whitey Ford vs Bob Lemon: Career Stats Comparison
Whitey Ford has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Whitey Ford played 1950–1967 as a pitcher; Bob Lemon played 1941–1958 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
Whitey Ford (1950–1967) and Bob Lemon (1941–1958) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Whitey Ford finished with 236 wins and 1,956 strikeouts; Bob Lemon finished with 207 wins and 1,277 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games? Whitey Ford, with 236 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Whitey Ford, with 1,956 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP? Whitey Ford, with 1.22 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Whitey Ford, with 3,170.1 to Bob Lemon's 2,850.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Whitey Ford, with 45 to Bob Lemon's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Whitey Ford, with 47,870 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Lemon's 14,410.
Whitey Ford
Bob Lemon
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Whitey Ford | Bob Lemon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 236 | 207 |
| Losses not scored | 106 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 498 | 460 |
| Games Started | Leads: 438 | 350 |
| Complete Games | 156 | Leads: 188 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 45 | 31 |
| Saves | 10 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,956 | 1,277 |
| Walks not scored | 1,086 | 1,251 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,766 | 2,559 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 228 | 181 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,170.1 | 2,850.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.75 | 3.23 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.55 | 4.03 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.08 | 3.95 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Whitey Ford outpaces Bob Lemon 47,870 to 14,410 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,992 PIV per season to 1,108, across 16 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).
Whitey Ford — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Lemon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Whitey Ford leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Lemon owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Whitey Ford. PIV agrees: Whitey Ford grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Whitey Ford and Bob Lemon careers compare
Whitey Ford and Bob Lemon were active at the same time between 1950 and 1958. With 498 games against 460 across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bob Lemon's edges on the table are complete games (188 to 156) and saves (22 to 10). By rate, Whitey Ford struck out 5.55 and walked 3.08 per nine innings; Bob Lemon struck out 4.03 and walked 3.95. Whitey Ford was mainly a starter (438 starts in 498 games), and Bob Lemon was mainly a starter (350 starts in 460 games). Whitey Ford allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.22 WHIP to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
Whitey Ford vs Bob Lemon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Whitey Ford or Bob Lemon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Whitey Ford leads Bob Lemon in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games?
- Whitey Ford, with 236 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Whitey Ford, with 1,956 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Whitey Ford, with 1.22 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.