Larry French vs Charlie Root: Career Stats Comparison
Larry French (1929–1942) and Charlie Root (1923–1941) — both came up during the 1920s, so the matchup is a direct one. Larry French compiled 197 wins and 1,187 strikeouts; Charlie Root put up 201 wins and 1,459 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Larry French
Charlie Root
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 | Larry French | Charlie Root |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 197 | 201 |
| Losses | 171 | 160 |
| Games | 570 | 632 |
| Games Started | 384 | 341 |
| Complete Games | 198 | 177 |
| Shutouts | 40 | 21 |
| Saves | 17 | 40 |
| Strikeouts | 1,187 | 1,459 |
| Walks | 819 | 889 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,375 | 3,252 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 164 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,152 | 3,197 |
| ERA | 3.44 | 3.59 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | 1.30 |
| K/9 | 3.39 | 4.11 |
| BB/9 | 2.34 | 2.50 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry French leads Charlie Root 31,032 to 28,449 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,069 vs 1,673 per year). 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).
Larry French — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Charlie Root — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Charlie Root leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Larry French owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Charlie Root. Note that PIV actually grades Larry French ahead, which means Charlie Root's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.