Willie Foster vs Eppa Rixey: Career Stats Comparison
Eppa Rixey 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). Willie Foster played ?–1937 as a pitcher; Eppa Rixey played 1912–1933 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
Willie Foster (?–1937) and Eppa Rixey (1912–1933) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts; Eppa Rixey finished with 266 wins and 1,350 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Eppa Rixey's 3.15.
- Who won more games? Eppa Rixey, with 266 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eppa Rixey, with 1,350 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Eppa Rixey's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Eppa Rixey, with 4,494.2 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eppa Rixey, with 37 to Willie Foster's 34.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Eppa Rixey, with 45,675 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Foster's 41,672.
Willie Foster
Eppa Rixey
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Foster | Eppa Rixey |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 125 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 251 |
| Games | 262 | Leads: 692 |
| Games Started | 185 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 290 |
| Shutouts | 34 | Leads: 37 |
| Saves | 14 | 14 |
| Strikeouts | 1,062 | Leads: 1,350 |
| Walks not scored | 522 | 1,082 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,397 | 4,633 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,665.0 | Leads: 4,494.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.66 | 3.15 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 2.70 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 2.17 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eppa Rixey leads Willie Foster 45,675 to 41,672 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Eppa Rixey played 21 seasons to Willie Foster's 19, while Willie Foster carries the higher per-season figure (2,193 to 2,175). 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).
Willie Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Eppa Rixey — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eppa Rixey leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Willie Foster owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eppa Rixey. PIV agrees: Eppa Rixey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Foster and Eppa Rixey careers compare
No season is shared: Eppa Rixey played 1912–1933, Willie Foster ?–1937. Eppa Rixey has the far longer record, 692 games against 262 across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Willie Foster are ERA (2.66 to 3.15), WHIP (1.15 to 1.27), and strikeouts per nine (5.74 to 2.70). By rate, Willie Foster struck out 5.74 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Eppa Rixey struck out 2.70 and walked 2.17. Both had the same role: Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games); Eppa Rixey was mainly a starter (552 starts in 692 games). In WHIP, Willie Foster's 1.15 beats Eppa Rixey's 1.27.
Willie Foster vs Eppa Rixey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Foster or Eppa Rixey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eppa Rixey leads Willie Foster in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Eppa Rixey's 3.15.
- Who won more games?
- Eppa Rixey, with 266 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eppa Rixey, with 1,350 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Eppa Rixey's 1.27.